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HISTORICAL 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS; 









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BEKuv A SELECTION OF THE M< 
MrPOKTA^T AND INTERS 

WHICH HAVE TRANSPIRED SINCE THE 
OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA TO Till 

From the most ApproTed Auti> 



BY JOHN W. BARBER- 



HARTFORD, 



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HISTORICAL 

RELIGIOUS EVENTS ; 

ILLUSTRATED BY 

BEING A SELECTION OF THE MOST 
IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING 

Religious Ebtntfi 

WHICH HAVE TRANSPIRED SINCE THE COMMENCEMRNI 
OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

From the most Approved Authorities. 



-J" 



BY JOHN W. BARBER. 




HARTFORD, 

•ITBLISHKD BT D. F. ROBIN SON <fc CO 



1828. 







<5° 



DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT, SS. 
BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-first 
L. S. day of July, in the fifty third year of the Independence 
of the United States of America, John W. Barber, of 
the said District, has deposited in this office the title of a 
Book, the right whereof he claims as author and proprietor 
in the words following, to wit, " Religious Events, illustra- 
ted by forty-six copper plate engravings ; being a selection 
of the most importani and interesting Religious Events 
which have occurred since the commencement of the Chris- 
tian Era to the present time ; from the most approved au- 
thorities." In conformity to the act of the Congress of the 
United States, entitled, u An act for the encouragement of 
learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, 
to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the 
times therein mentioned." — And also to the act, entitled 
" An act supplementary to an act, entitled ' An act for the 
encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, 
charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such 
copies during the times therein mentioned,' and extending 
the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and 
etching historical and other prints." 

CHAS. A INGERSOLL, 
Clerk of the District of Connecticut. 
A true copy of record, examined and sealed by me, 
CHAS. A. INGERSOLL, 
Clerk of the District of Connecticut. 



PREFACE. 

The object of this work is to present to the 
for a selection of the most important and lu- 
sting events which have occurred in Religious 
History since the Christian era. 

This work though designed principally for 
young persons, will be found, it is believed, inter- 
esting and instructive to those of riper years. — 
A short and comprehensive account is given of 
some of the leading events wnich have taken 
place in the history of the Christian Church, — a 
short sketch is given of the lives of some of the 
greatest and best of men, whose labours have tend- 
ed to promote the happiness and welfare of man- 
kind. In this work Scenes are exhibited showing 
the folly and wickedness of false Religion, — an 
account is also given of the rise and progress of 
most of the benevolent institutions which distin- 
guish the present age. 

In making the selection, care has been taken, 
to consult the most approved authorities, and in 
some instances, extracts from different authors 
have been made in their own words. — The en- 
graving which accompanies each scene, it is be- 
lieved, will be of utility, in making the work in- 
teresting, and of fixing the facts more firmly in 
the mind. 

J. W. B. 

New-Haven, July, 1828. 



CONTENTS. 



Sceue. 

1. Crucifixion. 

2. Martyrdom of the Apostles. 

3. Signs and Appearances pre- 
ceding the destruction of Je- 
rusalem. 

4. Destruction of Jerusalem. 

5. The Ten Persecutions. 

6. Martyrdom of the Theban 
Legion. 

7. Willingness of the ancient 
Christians to suffer for Christ's 



8. Vision of Constantine. 

9. Origin of the Monastic Life. 

10. Julian the Apostate attempt- 
ing to rebuild the Temple at 
Jerusalem. 

11. Mahomet the Arabian Im- 
postor. 

12. The Dark Ages. 

13. Crusades or Holy Wars 

14. Supremacy of the Pope of 
Rome. 

15. Inquisition. 

16. Persecution of the Walden- 
ses. 

17. John Huss and Jerome of 
Prague. 

18. Martin Luther. 

19. Jesuits 

20. English Martvrs. 

21. Massacre of' St. Bartholo- 
mews. 

28. Auto de Fe or Act of Faith. 



Scene. 

23. Religious Rites, Opinions 
&c. of the North American 
Indians. 

24 The Indian Mother. 

25. Plymouth Settlers. 

26. Elliot the Indian Missionary. 

27. The French Prophets. 

28. Sabatai Sevi the false Mes- 
siah. 

29. Scotch Covenanters. 

30. Moravian Missionaries. 

31. Ziegenbalg and Swartz, the 
Danish Missionaries. 

32. Wesley and Whitefield. 

33. Howard the Philanthropist. 

34. Modern Infidelity. 

35. Worship of the Grand Lama. 

36. Abdallahthe Arabian Mar- 
tyr. 

37. Worship of the idol Jugger- 
naut. 

38. Missions among the Hotten- 
tots. 

39. Progress of Christianity in 
the South Sea Islands. 

40. Sandwich Islands Mission. 

41. Missions among the North 
American Indians. 

42. African Colonies at Sierra 
Leone and Liberia. 

43. Bible Societies. 

44. Bethel Union Meetings. 

45. Sunday Schools. 

46. Millennium. 




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1. 

CRUCIFIXION. 

The coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ, his Bufferings and death, are the greatest 
and most important events, which have ever 
taken place in our world. 

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Fa- 
ther, came into our world, took upon him our na- 
ture, and suffered the penalties of the divine law, 
in our stead. By his sufferings and death, by 
crucifixion, he hath brought " life and immortal- 
ity to light ;" he hath opened a glorious way 
whereby fallen and depraved man can be 
reconciled and received into the favour of God. 

M In the hour of Christ's death," says an el- 
egant writer " the long series of prophecies, 
visions, types and figures, was accomplished. 
This was the centre in which they all met ; 
this the point towards which they had tended 
and verged, throughout the course of so many 
generations. By that one sacrifice which he now 
offered, he abolished sacrifices forever. Altars 

on which the fire had blazed for ages, were now 
2 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

to smoke no more. Victims were no more to 
bleed, " Not with the blood of bulls and goats, 
but with his own blood, he now entered into 
the Holy Place, there to appear in the pres- 
ence of God for us." 

" This was the hour of association and union 
to all the worshippers of God. When Christ 
said, c It is finished,' he threw down the wall of 
partition, which had so long divided the Gentile 
and Jew. He proclaimed the hour to be come, 
when the knowledge of the true God should be 
no longer confined to one nation, nor his wor- 
ship to one temple ; but over all the earth, the 
worshippers of the Father should ' serve him 
in spirit and in truth.' From that hour, they 
who dwelt in the ' uttermost ends of the earth, 
strangers to the covenant of promise, began to 
be brought nigh.' In that hour, the foundation 
of every pagan temple shook 5 the statue of ev- 
ery false god tottered on its base ; the priest 
fled from his falling shrine ; and the heathen 
oracles became dumb forever." 

" In the hour when Christ expiated guilt, he 
disarmed death, by securing the resurrection of 
the just. When he said to his penitent fellow 
sufferer, i To-day shalt thou be with me in Par- 



mmui iiikh 7 

idm 1 be announced to all his followers the cer- 
tainty of heavenly bliss* Fran the hill of Cal- 
vary, the fust clear and certain view was given 
to the workl : of the everlasting mansions." 

The manner of crucifixion by which our Sav- 
iour suffered, was considered the most dread- 
ful of all punishments, both for the shame and 
i of it 5 and so scandalous, that it was in- 
dicted as the last mark of detestation upon the 
\ ik st of people. The Cross was made of two 
beams, one of which crossed the other at the 
top at right angles, like a T, or in the middle of 
their length like an X, and the criminal's hands 
and feet nailed thereon. The Cross to which 
our Saviour was fastened and on which he died, 
was of the former kind ; being thus represen- 
ted by old monuments, coins and crosses. 



2. 

MARTYRDOM OF THE APOSTLES. 

After the Crucifixion of our Lord, the Apos- 

were scattered abroad in various parts of the 

world. They preached the gospel wherever 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 



they went, and the most of them were called to 
seal their testimony with their blood. 

St. James the Great was by trade a fisherman, 
and partner with Simon Peter, and related to 
our Lord, his mother and the Virgin Mary be- 
ing kinswomen. 

When Herod Agrippa was made governor of 
Judea by the emperor Caligula, he raised a per- 
secution against the Christians, and particularly 
singled out James as an object of his vengeance. 
This martyr, on being condemned to death, 
showed such an intrepidity of spirit, and con- 
stancy of mind, that even his accuser was struck 
with admiration, and became a convert to Chris- 
tianity. This transaction so enraged the people 
in power, that they likewise condemned him to 
death ; when James the Apostle, and his peni- 
tent accuser, were both beheaded on the same 
day, with the same sword. These events took 
place in the year of our Lord 44. 

St. Philip was employed in several important 
commissions by Christ, and being deputed to 
preach in Upper Asia, laboured very diligently 
in his apostleship. He then travelled into Phry- 
gia, and arriving at Heliopolis, found the inha- 
bitants so sunk in idolatry as to worship a large 




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RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 9 

serpent. St. Philip, however, was the mean 
converting many o( them to Christianity, and 
even procured the death of the serpent. This 
so enraged the magistrates, that they committed 
him to prison, and had him severely scourged, 
and afterwards hanged him up against a pillar 
till he died. A. D. 52. 

St. Matthew. This Evangelist, Apostle and 
Martyr, after our Saviour's ascension, travelled 
into Ethiopia, and Parthia, where he preached 
the Gospel with great success. He suffered 
martyrdom in the city of Nadabar, being slain 
by a halbard, about A. D. 60. 

St. Mark. After writing his gospel he went 
to Egypt and founded a church. When Mark 
was preaching in his church at Alexandria,some 
of the idolatrous inhabitants broke in upon him, 
and dragged him by his feet through the streets, 
till his flesh was torn off his bones, and he expir- 
ed under their hands ; they afterwards burned 
his body. 

St. James the Less suffered martyrdom at Je- 
rusalem, in the 1th year of his age. He was 
thrown headlong from the temple, stoned, and 
his brains dashed out by a fuller's club. 
2* 



10 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

St Mathias, the apostle, who was appointed 
to supply the vacant place of Judas lscariot, suf- 
fered martyrdom at Jerusalem, being first sto- 
ned, and then beheaded. 

St. Andrew, the brother of St. Peter, preached 
the gospel to many Asiatic nations. On arriving 
at Edessa, the governor of the country ordered 
him to be crucified on a cross, two ends of which 
were transversely fixed in the ground ; he lived 
two days after he was tied to the cross, preach- 
ing the most of the time to the people. 

St Peter was crucified at Rome, by order 
of the tyrant Nero ; he was led up to the top of a 
mount, and was crucified with his head down- 
wards, (according to his request,) thinking it too 
high an honour to die in the same posture his 
Lord and Master suffered. Peter and Paul suf- 
fered martyrdom on the same day. St. Paul 
being a Roman citizen, was beheaded. 

St. Jude went to Edessa, where many were 
converted to Cristianity by his preaching, which 
stirring up the resentment of the people in pow- 
er, he was crucified A. D. 72. 

St Bartholomew translated St. Matthew's Gos- 
pel into the Indian tongue and propagated it in 
that country ; but at length the idolaters grow- 



■IfHWUfl EVENTS. 1 I 

mg impatient with his doctrines, severely beat, 
crucified, and stayed him, and then cut off his 
head. 

St. Thomas preached the gospel in Parthia 
and India, where, displeasing the pagan priests, 
he was martyred, by being thrust through with 
a spear. 

St. Luke. This apostle and Evangelist had 
the advantage of a liberal education, and was 
by profession a physician. He travelled with 
St. Paul to Rome, and preached to many barba- 
rous nations till the priests of Greece hanged 
him on an olive tree. 

St. Simon was distinguished for his zeal by 
the name of Zelotes. He preached with great 
success in Africa, and it is asserted that he came 
into the island of Great Britain. He was cru- 
cified A. D. 74. 

St. John is said to be the only apostle who es- 
caped a violent death, and lived the longest of 
any of them, being nearly 100 years of age at 
the time of his death. 



12 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

3. 

SIGNS AND APPEARANCES PRECEDING THE 
DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 

After our Lord had foretold the ruin and des- 
olation coming upon the Jewish people, their 
city and temple, his disciples came to him pri- 
vately, saying, tell us when shall these things 
be ? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, 
&c. Our Lord then informs them of five signs 
which shall precede the destruction of Jerusa- 
lem. The first sign is false Christs, "for many 
shall come in my name, saying, lam Christ, and 
shall deceive many." The second, wars and 
commotions, " nation shall rise against na- 
tion." The third, pestilence and famine, 
" there shall be famines and pestilences" The 
fourth is " earthquakes in divers places" All of 
which events took place according to our Lord's 
prediction, as may be fully seen in the history of 
the Jews by Josephus, (the Jewish historian,) 
and also by other writers who lived at the time. 
The fifth sign is, " there shall be fearful sights 
and great signs from heaven." (Luke, chap.xxi. 
11.) Josephus, in his preface to the Jewish 
war, enumerates these, — 1st. A star hung over 




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the city like a IWOrd j unci a comet continued a 
whole year. 2d. The people being assembled 

at the least of unleavened bread, at the ninth 
hour of the night, a great light shone about 
the altar and the temple, and this continued for 
half an hour. .3d. At the same feast, a cow, 
led to the sacrifice, brought forth a lamb in the 
midst of the temple! 4th. The eastern gate of 
the temple, which was of solid brass, and very 
vy, and could hardly be shut by twenty men, 
and was fastened by strong bars and bolts, was 
seen at the sixth hour of the night, to open of its 
own accord ! 5th. Before sun-setting there 
was seen all over the country, chariots and ar- 
mies fighting in the clouds, and besieging cities. 
6th. At the feast of Pentecost, when the priests 
were going into the inner temple by night, to at- 
tend to their service, they heard first a motion 
and noise, and then a. voice as of a multitude, 
saving, LET US DEPART HENCE. 7th. 
What Josephus reckons one of the most terri- 
ble signs of all was, that one Jesus, a country 
fellow, four years before the war began, and 
when the city was in peace and plenty, came 
to the feast of tabernacles, and ran up and down 
the streets day and night, crying, " a voice 



14 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

from the east! a voice from the west! a voice 
from the four winds! a voice against Jerusa- 
lem and the temple ! a voice against the bride- 
grooms and brides ! and a voice against all the 
people!" Though the magistrates endeavour- 
ed by stripes and tortures to restrain him, yet he 
still cried with a mournful voice, " Woe, woe 
to Jerusalem!" And this he continued^to do 
for several years together, going about the walls 
and crying with a loud voice, " Woe, woe to 
the city, and to the people, and to the temple ;" 
and as he added " woe, woe to myself!" a 
stone sent by the Romans from some sling or 
engine struck him dead upon the spot! It is 
worthy of remark that Josephus appeals to the 
testimony of others, who saw and heard these 
fearful things. Tacitus, a Roman historian 
gives nearly the same account with that of Jo- 
sephus. — Clarke^s Commentary. 



4. 

DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 

The siege and destruction of the city and tem- 
ple of Jerusalem, and the subversion of the 



>US EVENTS. 15 

whole political constitution of the Jews, is one 
of the most striking instances of the divine ven- 

nce on a wicked people, that we have record- 
ed in history. Our Lord, who foresaw the d 
olation and calamities coming upon the city, 
wept over it. declaring his willingness to gather 
them under his protection ; but they would not 
accept of his salvation, therefore destruction 
came upon them, and their ; - house was left un- 
to them desolate/' 

\bout forty years after our Lord had foretold 
the destruction of Jerusalem, the Roman gov- 
ernment sent an army under Cestius Gallius 
against the Jews in order to quell their rebellious 
and factious spirit. Gallius came and invested 
Jerusalem with a powerful army. Our Lord 
declared to his disciples that u when ye shall see 
Jerusalem compassed icith armies, then hwic 
that the desolation thereof is nigh." And then, 
in order that his followers might be preserved in 
safety, he adds, M Then let them that are in Ju- 
deaflee to the mountains ; and let them that are 
m the midst of it depart out" &c. This coun- 
cil was remembered and wisely followed by the 
Christians, and it is mentioned as a remarkable 
fact by Eusebius and other ancient historians. 



16 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

that not a single Christian perished in the de- 
struction of Jerusalem, though many of them 
were there when Gallius invested the city ; and 
had he persevered in the siege, he would soon 
render himself master of it ; but when he unex- 
pectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, all 
who believed in Christ took that opportunity 
and fled to Pella, and other places beyond Jor- 
dan. 

Vespasian was appointed to succeed Gallius 
in prosecuting the war against the Jews ; he 
accordingly subdued the country, and prepared 
to besiege Jerusalem, but being appointed Em- 
peror he returned to Rome, and he gave the 
command of the forces to his son Titus. Titus 
having made several assaults without success, 
resolved to surround the city with a wall, which 
w 7 as, with incredible speed, completed in three 
days ! The wall was strengthened with forts at 
proper distances, so that all hope of safety was 
cut off; none could make his escape from the 
city, and no provisions could be brought into it : 
thus fulfilling our Lord's words, "thine enemies 
shall cast a trench about thee, and compass 
thee round, and keep thee in on every side." 
Titus now prosecuted the siege with vigor. In 



RBI IGIOI B BVBNTt 17 

addition to this, Ihe Jews were divided into foe- 
uons among themselves, and murdered each oth- 
er with a blind fury, and burnt their provision^ 
\ o history can furnish us with a parallel to the 

unities and miseries of the Jews 5 rapine, 
murder, famine and pestilence within, fire and 

>rd. and all the horrors of war without. 
"These were the days of vengeance, that all 
things which were written might be fulfilled/' 
These were the days in which all the calamities 
predicted by Moses. Joel, Daniel, and other pro- 
phets, as well as those predicted by our Saviour, 
met in one common centre, and were fulfilled 
in the most terrible manner on that generation 
It is remarkable that the temple was burnt by 
the Romans on the same month, and on the 
same day of the month, on which it had been 
burned by the Babylonians. 

Josephus computes the number of those who 
perished in the siege at eleven hundred thousand. 
besides those who were slain in other places. 
When Titus was viewing the fortifications, af- 
ter the taking of the city, he could not help as- 
cribing his success to God. " We have fought" 
said he, M with God on our side : and it is God 

who pulled the Jews out of these strong holds, 
3 



18 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

for what could machines, or the hands of men 
avail against such towers as these P' Our Lord 
says, " They shall fall by the edge of the sword, 
and shall be led away captive into all nations ; 
and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the 
Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfill- 
ed." 

The Jews were miserably tormented, and dis- 
tributed over the Roman provinces : and con- 
tinue to be distressed and dispered over all the 
nations of the world to this present day. Jeru- 
salem also continues to be " trodden down by the 
Gentiles." Since its destruction by Titus, it nev- 
er has been in the possession of the Jews. It 
was first in subjection to the Romans, afterwards 
to the Saracens, then to the Franks, after to the 
Mamalukes, and now to the Turks. 

"Thus has the prophecy of Christ been most 
literally and terribly fulfilled, on a people who 
are still preserved as continued monuments of 
the truth of our Lord's prediction, and of the 
truth of the Christian religion." 



RKl.h.IOUS EVENTS. 19 

S. 

THE TEN PERSECUTIONS. 

Historians usually reckon ten general perse- 
cutions, theirs/ of which was under the empe- 
ror Nero, thirty-one years after our Lord's as- 
cension, when that emperor, having set fire to 
the city of Rome, threw the odium of that exe- 
crable action on the Christians. First, those 
were apprehended who openly avowed them- 
selves to be of that sect 5 then by them were 
discovered an immense multitude, all of whom 
were convicted. Their death and tortures 
were aggravated by cruel derision and sport ; 
for they were either covered with the skins of 
wild beasts and torn in pieces by devouring 
dogs, or fastened to crosses, and wrapped up in 
combustible garments, that, when the day-light 
failed, they might, like torches, serve to dispel 
the darkness of night. For this tragical specta- 
cle, Nero lent his own gardens ; and exhibited 
at the same time the public diversions of the 
circus; sometimes driving a chariot in person, 
and sometimes standing as a spectator, while 

the shrieks of women, burning to ashes, supplied 
music to his ears. 



20 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

The Second general persecution was under 
Doraitian in the year 95, when 40,000 were 
supposed to have suffered martyrdom. 

The Third began in the third year of Trajan 
in the year 100, and was carried on with vio- 
lence for several years. 

The Fourth was under Antoninus when the 
Christians were banished from their houses, for- 
bidden to show their heads, reproached, beaten, 
hurried from place to place, plundered, impris- 
oned, and stoned. 

The Fifth began in the year 127, under Seve- 
rus when great cruelties were committed. In 
this reign happened the martyrdom of Perpetua 
and Felicitas and their companions. These 
two beautiful and amiable young women, moth- 
ers of infant children, after suffering much in 
prison were exposed before an insulting multi- 
tude, to a wild cow, who mangled their bodies 
in a horrid manner ; after which they were car- 
ried to a conspicuous place, and put to death by 
the sword. 

The Sixth began with the reign of the emperor 
Maximinusin 235. 

The Seventh which was the most dreadful 
ever known, began in 250, under the emperor 



RELIGIOUS KM M 21 

Decius, when the christians were in all p)a 
driven from their habitations, stripped of their 
.les. tormented with racks. \ c 

The Eighth began under Valerian. Both 
men and women suffered death, some by scour- 
ging, some by the sword, and some by fire. 

The Ninth was under Aurelian, in 274, but 
this was inconsiderable, compared with others 
before mentioned. 

The Tenth began in the nineteenth year of 
Diodecian, 303. In this dreadful persecution, 
which lasted ten years, houses which were fill- 
ed with Christians were set on fire, and whole 
droves were tied together with ropes, and 
thrown into the sea. It is related that 1 7,000 
were slain in one month's time ; and that dur- 
ing the continuance of this persecution, in the 
province of Egypt alone, no less than 144,000 
Christians died by the violence of their persecu- 
tors ; besides 700.000 that died through the fa- 
tigues of banishment, or the public works to 
which they were condemned. — Buckh Theolo- 
gical Dictionary. 



3* 



22 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

6 

MARTYRDOM OF THE THEBAN LEGION. 

During the reign of the emperor Maximian, 
A. D. 23G, a legion of soldiers, consisting of 
G666 men, contained none but christians. This 
legion was called the Theban legion, because 
the men had been raised in Thebais : they were 
quartered in the East till the emperor Maximi- 
an ordered them to march for Gaul, to assist 
him against the rebels in Burgundy ; when pas- 
sing the Alps into Gaul, under the command of 
Mauritius Candiaso and Experuis, their com- 
manders, and at length joined the emperor. 
About this time, Maximian ordered a general 
sacrifice, at which the whole army were to as- 
sist ; and he commanded, that they should take 
the oaths of allegiance, and swear, at the same 
time to assist him in the extirpation of Chris- 
tianity in Gaul. 

Terrified at these orders^ each individual of 
the Theban legion absolutely refused either to 
sacrifice, or to take the oath prescribed. This 
so enraged Maximian, that he ordered the le- 
gion to be decimated, that is, every tenth man 
to be selected from the rest and put to the 



Utieioi . rs. C-T 

»id. Tins cruel order having been put into 
execution, those who remained ali e still 

inflexible, when a second decimation took place, 

and every tenth man of those living were again 
put to the sword. But this second severity 
made no more impression than the first had 
done: the soldiers preserved their fortitude and 
principles ; hut by the advice of their officers, 
v up a remonstrance to the emperor, in which 
they told him « that they were his subjects and 
his soldiers, but could not at the same time forget 
the Almighty ; that they received their pay from 
him, and their existence from God. 

• While your commands (say they) are not 
contradictory to those of our common master, 
we shall always be ready to obey, as we have 
been hitherto ; but when the orders of our prince 
and the Almighty differ, we must always obey 
the latter. Our arms are devoted to the em- 
peror's use, and shall be directed against his 

raw; but we cannot submit to stain our 
hands with the effusion of Christian blood ; and 
bow indeed, could you, O emperor, be sure of 
our allegiance and fidelity, should we violate 
our obligations to our God, in whose service we 
ue ie solemnly engaged before we entered into 



24 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

the army ? You command us to search out and 
destroy the Christians ; it is not necessary to 
look any further for persons of that denomina- 
tion ; we ourselves are such, and we glory in 
the name. We saw our companions fall with- 
out the least opposition or murmuring, and 
thought them happy for dying for the sake of 
Christ. Nothing shall make us lift up our hands 
against our sovereign; we had rather die wrong- 
fully, and by that means preserve our innocence, 
than live under a load of guilt ; whatever you 
command we are ready to suffer ; we confess 
ourselves to be Christians, and therefore cannot 
persecute Christians, nor sacrifice to idols." 

Such a declaration it might be presumed 
would have affected the emperor, but it had a 
contrary effect •, for enraged at their persever- 
ance and unanimity, he commanded that the 
whole legion should be put to death, which was 
accordingly executed by the other troops, who 
cut them to pieces with their swords. — Milner^s 
History of Christian martyrdom. 



REI-ir.mi | | 

7. 

WILLINGNESS OP THE ANCIENT CHRIS- 
TIANS TO BUFFEB FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. 

The ancient Christians counted it an honor 
ufler for their religion, and oftentimes gave 
up their lives with joy, for the sake of their 
rd. 

In the fourth century, the emperor Valens or- 
dered on a certain day, the Christians in Edes- 
sa to be slain, while they were at their devo- 
tions, in their churches. The officers, howev- 
ever being more compassionate than the empe- 
ror, privately gave notice to the Christians not 
to assemble on the day appointed, so that they 
miiht escape death. 

The Christians thanked the officers for their 
advice, but disregarded both that and the em- 
menaces, rather than neglect their duty. 

ey accordingly repaired to the church, and 
the troops were put in motion to destroy them, 
marched along, a woman, with a child 
in her arms, broke through their ranks, when 
the i rdered her to be brought before him, 

and asked her where she was going.' She re- 
plied, to the church, whither others were ma- 



26 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

king all the haste they could. " Have you not 
heard" says the officer, u of the emperor's or- 
der, to put to death all who are found there ?" 
" I have," says she, " and for that cause I make 
the more haste." " And whither," said the 
officer, "do you lead that child !" "1 take him," 
replied she, " with me, that he also may be 
reckoned in the number of the martyrs." Up- 
on this, the humane officer returned to the em- 
peror, and told him that all the Christians were 
prepared to die in defence of their faith, repre- 
sented to him the rashness of murdering so 
great a multitude, and entreated the emperor to 
drop the design, at least for the present, with 
which he at length complied. — Milner ] s History 
of Christian martyrdom. 



8. 

VISION OF CONST ANTINE. 

The reign of Constantine the Great, the first 
Christian Emperor, is an important era in the 
history of the Christian Church. 

The miraculous circumstances attending his 



Klin. idi I i :\ i NTS. M 

conversion, though doubted by some, are fully 
credited by others. According to Kusebius (who 
ived the account from the emperor's own 
mouth, and who also confirmed it by his solemn 
oath) these extraordinary circumstances an 
follows : 

" As the emperor was marching at the head 
of his army, from France into Italy, against 
Maxentius on an expedition, which he was ful- 
ly aware, involved in it his future destiny ; op- 
pressed with extreme anxiety, and reflecting 
that he needed a force superior to arms, for sub- 
duing the sorceries and magic of his adversary, 
he anxiously looked out for the aid of some dei- 
ty, as that alone could secure him success. 
About 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when the sun 
began to decline, whilst praying for supernatu- 
ral aid, a luminous cross was seen by the empe- 
ror and his army, in the air, above the sun, in- 
scribed with the words "BY THIS CON- 
QUER," at the sight of which, amazement 
overpowered both himself and the soldiery on 
the expedition with him. He continued to pon- 
der on the event till night, when, in a dream, 
the author of Christianity appeared to him, to 
confirm the vision, directing him, at the same 



28 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

time, to make the symbol of the cross his milita- 
ry ensign."* 

Constantine having vanquished his adversa- 
ry, nowbuilt places for Christian worship, and 
shewed great beneficence to the poor. He re- 
moved the seat of the empire from Rome to By- 
zantium, which afterwards he honoured by the 
name of Constantinople, and prohibited, by a 
severe edict, the performance of pagan rites and 
ceremonies. 

He died on the 22d of May, in the year 337. 
at the age of sixty-four, after a reign of thirty- 
three years, having fully established the Chris- 
tian Religion in the Roman empire. 



9. 

ORIGIN OF THE MONASTIC LIFE. 

St. Anthony, of Egypt, in the fourth century, 
first instituted the monastic life. He distribu- 
ted his patrimony, deserted his family and house, 
took up his residence among the tombs and in a 
ruined town. After remaining there a long 
time, he at length advanced three days journey 

* M ilner's Church History. 




MA1BWDM1BT 
t?ie Arabian Impostor, propagating ?us fUligwi. 



12 




3EL&JB.TEL AiG-IKg*© 
Jfethad of propagating CTiristiamty durirrg the BaHcAget 




jpettikbr. tke ibleibmilt 

addressing t7ie Crusaders 



. Mi 

to the eastward of the river Nile 

wering a lonely spot winch possi 
ed tlic advantages of shade and water, be fi 
his last abode. His example and his les 
infected others, whose curiosity pursued him 
to the desert ; and before he quitted life, which 

s prolonged to the term of a hundred and five 
years, he beheld a numerous progeny imitating 
his original. Anthony formed his followers in- 
to a regular body, engaged them to live in socie- 
ty with each other, and prescribed to them fix- 
ed rules for their conduct. 

These regulations which were made in Egypj 
were soon introduced into Palestine, Syria. 
Mesopotamia, and the adjacent countries; and 
their example was followed with such rapid 
success, that in a short time the whole east was 
filled with a lazy set of mortals, who, aban- 
doning all human connexions, advantages, 
pleasures, and concerns, wore out a languish- 
ed miserable existence, amidst the hard 
ships of want, and various kinds of suffering, in 
order to arrive at a more close and rapturous 
communication with God and angels. 

From the East this gloomy disposition passed 
the West, and all Christendom became in 



•JO RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

fecied with this superstition, and various aiders 
of Monks were founded, such as Franciscans 
Dominicans, Benedictines, &c. 



10. 



JULIAN, THE APOSTATE, ATTEMPTING 
TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE AT JERUSA- 
LEM. 

Julian, the Roman emperor, began his reign 
about the year 360. He is commonly called 
Julian the apostate, from his casting off the pro- 
fession of Christianity, and his restoring the an- 
cient Pagan worship. In order to give the lie 
to our Saviour's prophecy, he attempted to re- 
build the temple, and the city of Jerusalem. 
He knew the Christians were firmly persuaded 
that, by the coming of Christ, the typical dis- 
pensation had come to an end : and could he 
succeed, in restoring the Jews to their city and 
the ritual of their worship, he might convert it 
into an argument against the faith of prophecy 
and the truth of revelation. 

He therefore resolved to erect, on Mount 
Moriah, a stately temple, and gave instructions 
to his minister Alypius, to commence without 



I h.iors 1 vi \ 3i 

ast undertaking. \t thecal) oftbeL 
supposed great deliverer, the Jews, from all the 
provinces of the empire, repaired to Jerusalem 
Every purse was now opened in liberal contri- 
butions, every hand claimed a share in the la 
hour, and the commands of the emperor, win 
touted with enthusiasm by the whole people. 
Bttt they entirely failed in attaining their ob- 
ject. Ammiaiuis Marcellinus, (a heathen wri- 
ter who lived during this transaction) says, 
•• whilst Alypius, assisted by the governor of the 
province, urged with vigor and diligence the ex- 
ecution of the work, horrible balls of fire, break- 
ing out near the foundations with frequent and 
reiterated attacks, rendered the place from time 
to time, inaccessible to the scorched and blasted 
workmen ; and the victorious element continu- 
ing in this manner, obstinately and resolutely 
bent as it were, to drive them to a distance, 
the undertaking was abandoned." This re- 
markable event is fully attested by various his- 
torians of th; 

ues's History of the Christian Church. 



32 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

11. 

MAHOMET, THE ARABIAN IMPOSTOK 

Mahomet was born at Mecca, a city in Ara- 
bia, near the Red Sea, in A. D. 569. Possess- 
ing but a scanty education, but of great natural 
talents, he sought to raise himself to celebrity, 
by feigning a divine mission, to propagate a new 
religion for the salvation of mankind. He re- 
tired to the desert, and pretended to hold con- 
ferences with the angel Gabriel, who delivered 
to him from time to time, portions of the Koran. 
(the sacred book of the Mahometans) contain- 
ing revelations from God, with the doctrines 
which he required his Prophet (Mahomet) to 
communicate to the world. 

His first converts were his wife, his servant, 
his pupil, and his friend. In process of time, 
some of the citizens of Mecca were introduced to 
the private lessons of the prophet ; they yielded 
to the voice of enthusiasm and repeated the 
fundamental creed, " There is but one God, and 
Mahomet is his Prophet" 

Being opposed in propagating his doctrines, 
he was obliged to flee His flight, called the 
Hegyra, (A. D. 622,) is the era of his glory 



He betook himself to Medina, wa d by 

the I , and tb aunenced pr 

log his religion by the sword. He divi 

his spoil among his followers, and from all si 
the roving Via! iDured to the standard of 

and plunder ; the prophet, sanctio 
the 1; f embracing the female captive 

their wives or concubines, and the enjoyment 
of wraith and beauty was the type of Para' 
•• Theswon Mahomet, " is the key of 

Heaven and Hell : a drop of blood shed in the 
cause of God, a night spent in arms, is of more 
avail than two months of fasting and prayer ; 
whoever falls in battle, his sins are forgiven ; at 
the day of judgment his wounds shall be re- 
plendent as vermillion and odoriferous as musk : 
and the loss of his limbs shall be supplied by the 
- s of angels and cherubims." 
In a few years, Mahomet subdued all Arabia 
and a part of Syria. In the midst of his victoi 
lie died at the age of I l . \ D. 63-2, being pois- 
oned, as it was supposed, by a Jewish female. — 
His successors extended their conquests and 
religion till their empire was widely extended 
in many countries of the East. 



34 RELIGIOUS EVENTS, 

12. 

THE DARK AGES. 

From the seventh to the tenth century of the 
Christian era was a time of universal darkness 
ignorance and superstition among all classes of 
people. Pure Christianity was but little known, 
amidst a multitude of idle ceremonies and ex- 
ternal show and pomp ; all ranks of the clergy 
were characterized by ambition, voluptuousness 
and ignorance. The want of an acquaintance 
with the first rudiments of literature even 
among the higher clergy was so general, that it 
was scarcely deemed disgraceful to acknow- 
ledge it, and many bishops who attended coun- 
cils, &c. could not even w 7 rite their names to 
the acts that were passed, but were obliged to 
have others sign for them. This time is emphat- 
ically called the Dark Ages, especially the tenth 
century, which all historians, civil and ecclesias- 
tical, agree in describing as the darkest epoch in 
the annals of mankind. '• Every thing sacred 
in religion," says a celebrated historian, " was 
disfigured by customs the most ridiculous and 
extravagant. In several churches in France, a 
festival was celebrated in commemoration of the 






\ brgiD Mary's flight into Egypt — it wa 
the feast of the Vjss, \ young girl richly dn 

«il. with ;i child in het arm-, w us placed Oil an 

superbly de with trappings 'I 

ass was led to the altar in solemn procession— 
said with great pomp — the 
taught to kneel at proper places — a hymn n i 
childish than impious was sung in hispraw 
and when the ceremony was ended, the priest. 
instead of the usual words with which he dis- 
ced the people, brayed three times like an 
ass : and the people instead of the usual re- 
sponse, brayed three times in return."* 

The method of propagating Christianity dur- 
ing this period, partook of the Character of the 
age. Whole nations were compelled underpaid 
of death, to receive Baptism, and the most cruel 
methods were used to compel them to submit to 
receive the Christian Faith. 



13, 

CRUSADES, OR HOLY WARS. 

The Crusades were religious wars, waged In 
( hristian Europe, chiefly against the Turks or 

• History of Charles 5th. vol. 1. 



Xlii RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

Mahometans, with a view to recover Palestine out 
of their hands. These expeditions commenced. 
A. D. 1096. The foundation of them was a super- 
stitious veneration for those places where our 
Saviour performed his miracles, and accom- 
plished the work of man's redemption. 

Palestine having been conquered by the 
Turks, Jerusalem was now in their hands, 
which rendered it unsafe and vexatious to the 
pilgrims who flocked from all parts to visit the 
tomb of our Saviour. 

Peter, the hermit, a native of France, on his 
return from this pilgrimage, complained in loud 
terms of the grievances the Christians suffered 
from the Turks. He conceived the project of 
leading all the forces of Christendom against 
the inhdels, and driving them out of the Holy 
Land. Being encouraged in his project by 
Pope Urban 2d, Peter went from province to 
province and succeeded in arousing princes 
and people to undertake this holy warfare. All 
ranks of men now deeming the Crusades the 
only road to heaven, were impatient to open 
the way with their swords to the holy city. 
Nobles, artizans, peasants, and even priests en- 
rolled their names, and to decline this service. 



branded with the reproach of impieu 

cowardice The infirm and aged contribute 
by i and money, and many attended it 

in person ; being determined, if possible, 

ithe then- last in the sight of (lie holy citj 
Even women concealing their sex under the dis- 
guise of armour, attended the camp: and the 
great est criminals were forward in a service which 
they considered as an expiation, for all crimes. 

In the first Crusade, an army of 80,000 men. 
a disorderly multitude led on by Peter, were de- 
stroyed : but the army which followed consist- 
ing of 700,000 men, under Godfrey, conquered 
Syria and Palestine, and took possession of Je- 
rusalem, which they held for several years. The 
Crusaders however weakened their power by 
dividing their conquests into four separate states 

In this situation they found it necessary to so- 
licit aid from Europe, and accordingly, in 1 146, 
an army of 200,000 men under Hugh, brother to 
the French king, set out upon another Crusade. 
But these met with the same fate as the army of 
Another army of 300,000 soon followed, 
and were soon destroyed or dispersed. 

Palestine having fallen into the hands of the 
infidels, under the great Saladin. Europe felt 



38 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

indignity, and France, England, Germany, each 
sent forth an army headed by its own sovereign. 
Richard First, of England, bore the weight of 
the contest, and he defeated Saladin, on the 
plains of Ascalon. 

The Fourth Crusade took place in 1202, and 
was directed against the Greek Empire. The 
Fifth was against E^ypt, in revenge for an attack 
on Palestine by its Sultan. But this expedition, 
like the rest, was ruinous in the end. 

It is computed that, in the whole of the Cru- 
sades to Palestine, two millions of Europeans 
w 7 ere buried in the East. 

When Jerusalem was taken, the Crusaders 
were guilty of the most shocking barbarities, the 
numerous garrisons were put to the sword, and 
the inhabitants were massacred without mercy, 
and without distinction. No age nor sex was 
spared, not even sucking children. What shows 
the blind enthusiasm which animated those fero- 
cious conquerors, is, their behaviour after this 
terrible slaughter. They marched over heaps 
of dead bodies, towards the Holy Sepulchre ; 
and while their hands were polluted with the 
blood of so many innocent persons, sung an- 
thems to the common Saviour of Mankind ! 



m \wfWM 

14. 

SUPREMACY OF THE POPE OF ROME 

The Roman Catholics believe the Pope ol 
Rome is under Christ, supreme pastor of tin 
whole church, and has a power and jurisdiction 
over all Christians. He is called the successor 
of St. Peter, and is believed to be infallible, that 
is he cannot err, when he addresses himself to 
the faithful on matters of doctrine, &c. The 
Pope is believed by the Protestants, to be the 
Intichrist* the Man of Sin, mentioned in 2d 
Thess. 2d, and Rev. 13th. 

u In ages of ignorance and credulity" says a 
celebrated writer, " the ministers of Religion 
are the objects of superstitious veneration 
When the barbarians who overran the Roman 
Kmpire first, embraced the Christian faith, they 
found the clergy in possession of considerable 
power; and they naturally transferred to those 
new guides, the profound submission and rever 
ence which they were accustomed to give to 
the priests of the Pagan religion, which they had 
forsaken. 

It was about the year GOG that Pope Boni- 
Third. by flattering Phocas, the Emperor 



10 RELIGIOUS EVENTH. 

of Constantinople, one of the worst of tyrants. 
procured for himself the title of Universal Bishop. 
From this time, he was raised above all others, 
and his supremacy was by imperial authority : 
it was now also that the most profound ignorance 
debauchery and superstition reigned. From 
this time the popes exerted all their power in 
promoting the idolatrous worship of images, 
saints, relics, and angels. The Popes now took 
the most blasphemous titles, such as Christ's 
Vicegerent , His Holiness, Prince over all Nations 
and Kingdoms, King of Kings and Lord of 
Lords, The Lord God the Pope, &c. 

About the year 751, the Pope began to estab- 
lish himself as a temporal Prince, and to de- 
throne kings, and put others in their places. 
Henry Fourth, Emperor of Germany, having dis- 
pleased Pope Gregory Seventh, the Roman Pon- 
tiff summoned a council, and passed the follow- 
ing sentence upon him. " In the name of Al- 
mighty God, and by your authority" said Greg- 
ory, addressing the members of the council, " I 
prohibit Henry from governing the Teutonic 
kingdom and Italy, I release all Christians from 
their allegiance to him ; and 1 strictly forbid all 
persons to serve; or attend him as king. 55 








ur^TieiTiojr. 
Mmmm 




MfcMA - .- rtbWAUklifll 



RKMGIOUS i:Vl N i <li 

\\ iuMi this e became known, the great 

ry part of I Jenny's subjects cast off their ali 
ance. and appeared against him. — Henry WBi 
humbled — he came to the resolution of throw m- 
himself at the feet of Gregory in order to im 
plore his absolution. The pontiff was at that 
time on a visit to the countess ordutchess Ma- 
tilda, at Canosa, a fortress on the Appenines. 
\t the gate of this mansion, the Emperor pre- 

i ted himself as an humble penitent. He alone 
was admitted within the outer court, where, be 
ing stripped of his robes, and wrapped in sack 
cloth, he was compelled to remain three days, 
in the month of January, (A. D. 1077,) barefoot 
and fasting, before he was permitted to kiss the 
feet of his holiness ! ! 

The indulgence was, however granted him-he 
was permitted to throw himself at the feet of the 
ftaughty Pontiff, who condescended to grant him 
absolution, after he had sworn obedience to the 
Pope in all things, and promised to submit to his 
3olemn decision. — The Pontiff elate with tri- 
umph, now considered himself as the lord and 
master of all the crowned heads in Christendom 



42 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

and said in several of his letters, that " it was 
his duty to pull down the pride of kings."* 



15. 

INauISITION. 

The inquisition is a tribunal in Roman Cath 
olic countries, erected by the Popes for the ex- 
amination and punishment of Heretics. This 
Court was founded in the Twelfth century, un- 
der the patronage of Pope Innocent, who issued 
out orders to excite Catholic princes and people 
to extirpate heretics, to search into their number 
and quality, and to transmit a faithful account 
thereof to Rome. Hence they were called In- 
quisitors, and gave birth to the formidable tribu- 
nal called the Inquisition. 

One of the most celebrated inquisitors was 
one Dominic, who was canonized by the Pope, 
in order to render his authority the more res- 
pectable. He and the other inquisitors spread 
themselves into various countries, and treated 
the Protestants with the utmost severity ; at 
length the Pope, not finding these inquisitors 

f Janes' History of the Christian Church. 



RELIGIOUS I 

il as he had imagined, resolved upon the 
iinenl offyced and rgpiljir court* of ln- 

ihon : tlir fitsl i f w Inch was e 

lisbod id Tbulouse, and Dominic became the 

gular Inquisitor. 

In juisitioD w6re also established in 

.Several countries ; but the Spanish Inquisition 

became the most powerful and dreadful of any. 

a the kings nf Spain themselves, though ar- 
bitrary in all other Inspects, were taught to 
dread the powe of the lords of the Inquisition. 
Tins diabolical tribunal takes cognizance o! 
heresy, Judaism, Mahometanism, sodomy, po- 

inv. witchcraft, <Scc. Heresy in their view 
comprises many subdivisions ; and upon the 
Sapicion of any of these, the party is immediate- 
ly apprehended. Advancing an offensive pro- 
position ; failing to impeach others who may ad- 
vance such j C' ntemnins church ceremonies : 
defacing i ma ^ >ks condemned by 

the Inquisition ; lending such books to others to 
read : d< from the ordinary practices ot 

the Roman Church : lulling a year pass with- 
out goins; to confession ; eating meat on fast 
days ; neglecting hhass ; being present at a si 
mon preached bv a hi ontracting a friend 



14 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

ship with, or making a present to, or assisting a 
heretic, &c. are all matters of suspicion, and 
prosecuted accordingly. 

In the countries where this dreadful tribunal 
is established, the people stand in so much fear 
of it, that parents deliver up their children, hus- 
bands their wives, and friends, masters their ser- 
vants, to its officers ; without daring in the least 
to murmur or make resistance. The prisoners 
are kept a long time till they themselves turn 
their own accusers, and declare the cause of 
their imprisonment, for which they are neither 
told their crime nor confronted with witnesses. 
As soon as they are imprisoned, their friends go 
into mourning, and speak of them as dead, not 
daring to solicit their pardon, lest they should be 
brought in as accomplices. When there is no 
shadow of proof against the pretended criminal. 
lie is discharged, after suffering the most cruel 
tortures, a tedious and dreadful imprisonment, 
and the loss of the greater part oi his effects. 
Those who are condemned to death, are deliv- 
ered over to secular pow 7 er, and perish in the 

flames. 
" Senor Llorente who was Secretary to the 

Inquisition of Madrid about the year 1790, make- 






following calculation of tin number of vic- 

tiftifl \\ bom the Inquisition has sacrificed Thai 

during the fcpO \< are from i i:-i to I i 81, 31,94 2 

perished in the flames — and adding to 

this period the years up t6 the present tune. 

effigies have been burned, representing 

such criminals as the Inquisition could not catch 
for more substantial vengeance, — and 291,456 
have been condemned to severe penances.- 



16. 

PERSECUTION OF THE WALDENSES. 

In the darkest period in the history of the 
( hristian Church, there has ever been some who 
have borne their testimony in support of the pure 
doctrines of Christianity, and raised their voice? 
against the general corruption of the Church. 

The most distinguished of these reformers 
were the Waldenses, who made their appear- 
ance about the year 1 160. They were the most 
numerons about the vallies of Piedmont. 

Peter Waldo, an opulent merchant of Lyons 
in France,) being extremely zealous for the ad 

" Hnti*h Critic. 



4ti RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

vancement of true piety and Christian knowl- 
edge, caused a translation of the four gospels 
and other parts of the Holy Scriptures to be 
made into the French language. Perusing these 
books with deep attention, he perceived that the 
religion which was taught by the Church of 
Rome, was totally different from that which 
was taught by Christ and his Apostles. Being 
animated with zeal for the truths of the gospel. 
he abandoned his mercantile vocation, distribu- 
ted his riches among the poor, and forming an 
association with other pious men, who had 
adopted his sentiments, he began in 1.180 as a 
public teacher to instruct the multitude in the 
doctrines and precepts of Christianity. 

The attempts of Peter Waldo and his follow * 
ers were crowned with great success, — they 
formed religious assemblies, first in France, 
then in Lombardy, from whence they propogat- 
ed their sect throughout the other provinces of 
Europe, with great rapidity, and with such in-* 
vincible fortitude, that neither fire nor sword, 
nor the most cruel inventions of merciless perse- 
cution, could damp their zeal, or entirely ruin 
Mieir cause. 

The Roman Pontiff and his ministersj often 



IT 

instigated the civil rulers to exterminate or drive 

the Waldenscs from their dominion-. Fur this 
purpose troops were seat agdinst them many 
times, who plundered and destroyed their villa- 
and murdered many ef the inoffensive inhab- 
itants. 

The persecution in 165$ 1§56, andlGOG, v 
carried on with peculiar rage ;:nd violence, and 
seemed to threaten nothing less than the total 
taction of this unhappy people. They were 
hunted like wild bea-ts upon the rocks and 
mountains (where they fled for safety.) The 
banditti and soldiers of Piedmont massacred all 
sorts of persons, of every age. sex and condition, 
they were dismembered, hung up ; females vio- 
lated, and numerous other horrid atrocities were 
committed. 

The few Waldenses that survived, were in- 
debted for their existence and support, to the in- 
tercession made for them by the English and 
Dutch governments, and also by the Swiss Can- 
tons, who solicited the clemency of the Duke oi 
oy on their behalf. 

Milton the poet, who lived at this time, touch 
^d with sympathy for the suffering of the Wal 
lease?, penned the follow ing exquisite sonn 



48 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 



On the late Massacre in Piedmont 

Avenge, O Lord, thy slanghter'd saints, whose bones 
Lie scatter'd on the Alpine mountains cold ; 
E'en them who kept thy truth so pure of old, 
When all our Fathers worshiped stocks and stones 
Forget not ; in thy book record their groans 
Who were thy sheep, and in their ancient fold 
Slain by the bloody Piedmontese that rolPd 
Mother with infant down the rocks. Their moans 
The vales redoubled to hills, and they 
To heaven, their martyr'd blood and ashes sow 
O'er all th' Italian fields, where still doth sway 
The tripled tyrant ; that from thrse may grow 
A hundred fold, who having learned thy way 
Early may fly the Babylonian woe. 



17. 



JOHN HUSS AND JEROME OF PRAGUE. 

John Huss was born in a little village in Bo- 
hemia, called Huss, and lived at Prague in the 
highest reputation- both on account of the sanc- 
tity of his manners and the purity of his doctrines. 
He performed in that city at the same time 
both the offices of professor of divinity in the 
University, and of a pastor in the Church of that 
city. 

He adopted the sentiments of Wickliffe, and 



If 

the WaMen od, in the year 1 UJ7, began 

openly too] id preach against the doc- 

trines and corruptions then in the Romish church. 
This inllamed the resentment of the ch 
i nst him, and he was summoned to app 
before the council of Constance. Secure* < 
he thought, from tlie rage of his enemies, by the 
safe conduct granted him by the Emperor Sigis- 
nuind for his journey to Constance, his residence 
in that place, and his return to his own country. 
Huss obeyed the order of the council, and ap- 
peared before it to demonstrate his innocence, 
and to prove that the charge of his having de 
serted the Church of Rome was entirely ground- 
less However, his enemies so far prevailed. 
that, by the most scandalous breach of publi 
faith, he was cast into prison, declared a heretic, 
because he refused to plead guilty against the 
dictates of his conscience, and burnt alive in 
1 415 ; a punishment which he endured with un- 
paralleled magnanimity and resolution. When 
he came to the place of execution, he fell on his 
knees, san^ portions of psalm>. looked steadfast- 
wards hi-avi n. and repeated these words : 
•• Into thy hands O Lord do 1 commit my spirit ; 
thou hasrt redeemed meOmostgo&d and faith 



50 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

ful God. Lord Jesus Christ, assist and help me. 
that with a firm and present mind, by thy most 
powerful grace I may undergo this most cruel 
and ignominious death, to which 1 am condemn- 
ed, for preaching the truth of thy most holy 
gospel." When the chains were put upon him 
at the stake, he said with a smiling countenance. 
" My Lord Jesus Christ was bound with a 
harder chain than this for my sake, and why 
should 1 be ashamed of this old and rusty one } v 
When the faggots were piled up to his very 
neck ; the duke of Bavaria was officious enough 
to desire him to abjure, " No" says Huss, " 1 ne 
ver preached any doctrine of an evil tendency : 
and what I taught with my lips I seal with my 
blood." He said to the executioner, " Are you 
going to burn a goose ? In one century you will 
have a Swan you can neither roast nor boil." If 
he were prophetic, he must have meant Luther r 
who had a Swan for his arms. The fire was 
then applied to the faggots ; when the martyr 
sang a hymn. At last his voice was cut short, 
after he had uttered " Jesus Christ thou son of 
the Living God, have mercy upon me," and he 
was consumed in a most miserable manner. 
The Duke of Bavaria ordered the executioner 



' 






KM IG101 S L\ EN •>! 

to throw all the martyr's clothes into the ilam 

after which his ashed were paipfnlly collected 
ami cast into the Rhine. 

jeraneof Prague, the intimate friend and 
companion of Huss, wa$ bora at Prague, and 

w\\ martyrdom one year after Huss suffcr- 
cd. He was educated at the University at 
Prague, and had travelled into many countries 
in Europe, and was greatly celebrated for hi^ 
learning, virtues, and uncommon eloquence. 

Being of the sentiments of H uss, lie was sum- 
moned before the council of Constance. It is 
said, that it was amazing to hear with what 
force of expression, with what fluency of speech, 
and with what excellent reasoning, he answer- 
ed his adversaries. It was impossible to hear 
him without emotion. Every ear was captivat- 
ed and every heart touched. But wishes in his 
favour were in vain ; he threw himself beyond a 
possibility of mercy. He launched out into an 
high encomium of Huss, calling him a holy man, 
and lamenting his cruel and unjust death. He 
had armed himself, he said, with a full resolu- 
tion to follow the steps of that blessed martyr, 
and to suffer with constancy whatever the mal- 
ice of his enemies could inflict. Firm and in- 



\ 

52 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

trepid, he stood before the council, collected in 
himself; not only contemning, but seeming even 
desirous of death. Two days were allowed him 
for reflection, and many persons of consequence 
endeavoured to make him recant his opinions — 
but all was in vain, and he was condemned as a 
Heretic. , 

With a cheerful countenance he came to the 
place of execution, he pulled off his upper gar- 
ment, and made a short prayer at the stake ; to 
which he was soon bound, with wet cords, and 
an iron chain, and inclosed with faggots as high 
as his breast. 

Observing the executioner about setting fire 
to the wood behind his back, he cried out, 
u Bring thy torch hither. Perform thy office 
before my face. Had I feared death I might 
have avoided it." 

As the wood began to blaze, he sang a hymn 
which the violence of the flame scarce inter- 
rupted. 




1L 17 IP EE IE. 
7>ero7V thelhet afWorms. 



19 



;-_^&| JWP^S|^B|^.; 



jHEgiimrs 



REl.K.loi | II i:\TS. ^>'> 

18. 

MARTIN LUTHER. 

Martin Luther, the great Reformer of the 

(lunch, was born in Kislcbcn, in Saxony, in 
1483. Though his parents were poor, yet they 
endeavoured to give their son an education ; but 
young Luther, with other poor students, was 
o!)li^< d to earn his bread by singing before the 
rs of houses. In this occupation he often 
met with hard language and bitter reproaches at 
many doors. One day being much dejected, 
the worthy wife of a citizen being penetrated 
with pity for him, called the hungry youth into 
the house and refreshed him with food. This 
worthy woman with her husband were so well 
pleased with young Luther, that they determin- 
ed to provide him food and clothing, that he might 
without interruption and care for his support, 
the more zealously pursue his studies, in which 
he gave many indications of his future worth. 
As his mind was naturally susceptible of serious 
impressions, and tinctured with that religious 
melancholy which delights in the solitude of a 
monastic life, he retired into a convent of Au- 

gustinian friars ; where he acquired great rcpu- 

6 



54 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

tation not only for piety, but for love of knowl- 
edge, and unwearied application to study. 

Happening to find a Bible in the Monastery, 
he applied himself to the study of it with so 
much eagerness and assiduity as to astonish the 
monks, and increased his reputation for sanctity 
so much, that he was chosen professor of Theol- 
ogy in the university of Wittemburg. 

While Luther was thus employed, Tetzel, a 
Dominican friar, came to Wittemburg, in order 
to publish indulgences. 

This appearing so contrary to the gospel, that 
Luther published his sentiments respecting them, 
which were spread over Germany with great ra- 
pidity, and were read with the greatest eager- 
ness. 

Luther having thus began to oppose one prac- 
tice of the Romish Church, was also led to exam- 
ine other practices and tenets of the same 
church ; the result of which entirely convinced 
hira that the Popish religion was not the religion 
of the Bible, and he boldly declared the Pope to 
be the Antichrist or Man of Sin, whose appear- 
ance is foretold in the New Testament. 

The Court of Rome being alarmed at the pro- 
gress of Luther's sentiments among all classes 



of p tmmunicated him as n heu 

and would probably put him to death, had he 

not . >\c of the l } i 

ho were friendly to the new 

trin 

Luther was at length summoned to app 

before the Diet at Worms, to answer for his her- 

r Charles Fifth having grant- 
ed him a safe conduct, he yielded obedience and 
set out for AYorms. While on his journey, ma- 
ny of his friends, (whom the fate of I hiss under 
similar circumstances, and notwithstanding the 
same security of an imperial safe conduct, filled 
with solicitude.) advised and entreated him not 
to rush wantonly into the midst of danger. But 
Luther, superior to such terrors, silenced them 
with this reply ; " J am law fully called'" said he, 
•• to appear in that city ; and thither I will go in 
the name of the Lord, though as many devils as 
there are tiles on the houses were there combin- 
ed against me." 

Wheo Luther arrived at Worms, greater 
crowds assembled to behold him, than had ap- 
peared at the E ? s public entry. At his 
appearance before the diet he behaved with great 
decency and firmness. When called upon 



56 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

recant his opinions, Luther replied in a truly ex- 
alted manner, u Except I can be convinced by 
clear reasoning, or by proofs taken from the Ho- 
ly Scriptures, 1 neither can nor will recant, be- 
cause it is neither safe nor advisable to do any 
thing which is against my conscience. Here I 
stand, I cannot do otherwise, so help me God ! 
Amen I" Luther persisting in this answer, he 
was dismissed from the assembly under a strong 
escort, and was permitted by the Emperor to 
return from Worms. 

Luther, after this, in 1534, translated the Bi- 
ble into the German language, and wrote many 
works, and laboured with unwearied zeal in 
propagating the doctrines of the Reformation. 

He had during his life, the pleasure of seeing 
vast numbers of the people adopting his senti- 
ments, and the Reformed Religion firmly estab- 
lished in many parts ol Europe. 



19. 
JESUITS. 

Jesuits, or the Society of Jesus, are a religious 
order of the Romish Church, founded in the six- 
teenth century by Ignatius Loyola, a Spanish 



nUOIOUB i:\ r.\ 

knight. The plan which this fanatic formed of 

its constitution and laws, was suggested, as he 

i out, by the immediate inspiration of heaven. 

I loyola proposed, that besides the three vows 

■of poverty, chastity, and of Monastic obedience, 

(which are common to all orders of regulars,) the 
members of his society should take a fourth vow 
of obedience to the Pope, binding themselves to 
go whithersoever he should command them, and 
without requiring aid from the holy see for then- 
support. 

At this time the papal authority received such 
a shock from the progress of the Reformation, 
and the revolt of nations from the Romish Church 
that the acquisition of a body of men thus devot- 
ed to the Roman Church, was of much conse- 
quence. Pope Paul therefore confirmed the in- 
institutionofthe Jesuits by his bull, and granted 
the most ample privileges to the members of the 
order. 

The order of the Jesuits are peculiar in their 
operations. The primary object of almost all 
the monastic orders is to separate men from the 
world, and from any concern in its affairs. They 
can be of no benefit to mankind but by their ex- 
ample and prayers. On the contrary, the J( 

(i* 



58 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

suits consider themselves as formed for action. 
They are required to attend to all the transac- 
tions of the world on account of the influence 
which these may have upon religion ; they are 
directed to study the disposition of persons in 
high rank, and to cultivate their friendship, and, 
by the very constitution and genius of their or- 
der, a spirit of action and intrigue is infused into 
all its members. 

From their first institution, the Jesuits consid- 
ered the education of youth astheir peculiar pro- 
vince; they aimed at being spiritual guides and 
confessors ; they preached frequently, in order to 
instruct the people ; they set out as missionaries 
to convert unbelieving nations. 

Before the close of the Sixteenth Century, 
they had obtained the chief direction of the edu- 
cation of youth in every Catholic country in Eu- 
rope. They had become the confessors of all 
its Monarchs, a function of no small importance. 
They were the spiritual guides of almost every 
person eminent for rank or power; they possess- 
ed the highest degree of confidence and interest 
with the papal court; they possessed, at differ- 
ent periods, the direction of the most considera- 
ble courts in Europe ; they mingled in all affairs. 



RBLIOHM B r.\ i vrs. T>9 

and took pari in every intrigue and revolution. 

Under 1 1 u* pretext o( promoting the success of 

their missions and of supporting their misskma- 

they engaged in an extensive and lucrative 

commerce, both in the Kast and Weal Indies ; 
and had their ware-house* in different parts of 
Europe. Not satisfied with trade alone, they 
imitated the example of other commercial soci- 
eties, and aimed at obtaining settlements. 

They acquired possession of the large and fer- 
tile province of Paraguay, which then stretched 
across South America, from the bottom of the 
mountains of Potosi, to the confines of the Span- 
ish and Portuguese settlements, on the banks of 
the river J)e la Plata. 

In this country, it must be confessed, that the 
Jesuits were of some service ; they found the in- 
habitants in a savage state, subsisting by hunting 
and fishing ; and hardly acquainted with the 
first principles of subordination and govern- 
mebt — The Jesuits set themselves to instruct 
and civilize these savages ; they taught them to 
cultivate the ground, build houses, and brought 
them to live together in villages, &c. They train- 
ed them to arts and manufactures, and such wa* 



60 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

their power over them, that a few Jesuits presid- 
ed over some hundred thousand Indians. 

But at length the power and influence of the 
Jesuits became so formidable, that the nations of 
Europe found it expedient to check their pro- 
gress. They were expelled from England in 
1604; Venice, in 1606; Portugal, in 1759; 
France, in 1764; Spain and Sicily, in 1767 ; 
and finally were suppressed by Pope Clement 
Fourteenth, in 1773. 

In 1814 however, the Pope issued a bull cm 
the 7th of June, for re-establishing the order of 
Jesuits. 



2®. 

ENGLISH MARTYRS. 

Queen Mary ascended the throne of England 
in 1553. She was strongly bigoted to the Popish 
religion, and during her reign, (which was of 
about five years continuance,) she carried on a 
most bloody persecution against the Protestants. 
It was computed that, during this persecution, 
two hundred and seventy-seven persons were 
burnt, besides those punished by imprisonment, 
fines and confiscations.. Among those who suf- 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 61 

fared by fire, were five bishops, twenty-one cler- 
gymen, eight lay gentlemen, eighty-four trades- 
men, one hundred husbandmen, fifty-five wo- 
men, ami four children. 

Rogers, prebendary of St. Pauls, and Hooper, 
bishop of Gloucester, were the first Martyrs. 
Saunders and Taylor, two other clergymen, 
Whose zeal had been distinguished in carrying 
on the Reformation, were the next that suffered. 
M Bonner, bishop of London, bloated at once 
with rage and luxury, let loose his vengeance 
Without restraint, and seemed to take a pleasure 
in the pains of the unhappy sufferers; while the 
queen by her letters, exhorted him to pursue the 
pious work without pity or interruption. Soon 
after, in obedience to her commands, Ridley, 
bishop of London, and the venerable Latimer, 
bishop of Worchester, were condemned togeth- 
er. Ridley had been one of the ablest champi- 
ons for the Reformation ; his piety, learning, and 
solidity of judgment, were admired by his 
friends, and dreaded by Ins enemies. The night 
before his execution, he invited the Mayor of 
Oxford and his wife to see him ; and when he 
beheld them melted into tears, he himself ap- 
peared quite unmoved, inwardly supported and 



62 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

comforted in that hour of agony. When he was 
brought to the stake to be burnt, he found his 
old friend Latimer there before him. Of all the 
prelates of that age, Latimer was the most re- 
markable for his unaffected piety, and the sim- 
plicity of his manners. He had never learned 
to flatter in courts 5 and his open rebuke was 
dreaded by all the great, who at that time too 
much deserved it. His sermons, which remain 
to this day, shew that he had much learning and 
much wit ; and there is an air of sincerity run- 
ning through them, not to be found elsewhere. 
When Ridley began to comfort his ancient 
friend, Latimer on his part, was as ready to re- 
turn his kind office. " Be of good cheer, broth- 
er, (cried he,) w T e shall this day kindle such a 
torch in England, as, I trust in God, shall never 
be extinguished." A furious bigot ascended to 
preach to them and the people, w 7 hile the fire 
was preparing ; and Ridley gave a most serious 
attention to his discourse. No way distracted 
by the preparations about him, he heard him to 
the last ; and then told him, that he was ready 
to answer to all that he had preached upon, if 
he were permitted a short indulgence, but this 
was refused him. At length fire was set to the 



RE! 

Latimer was soon out of pain ; hut Ridlej 
continu much loi 

consumed before the fire reached his vitals." 
Archbishop of Canterbury, had 

cour His love of life in an unguard- 

ed moment, induced him to sign a paper con- 
demning the Reformation. Of this act, he af- 
terwards bitterly repented. Being led to the 
e, and the fire beginning to be kindled round 
him. he stretched forth his right hand and held it 
in the flames till it was consumed : exclaiming 
several times. i; This hand has offended ! This 
wicked hand has offended !" When it drop- 
ped off, he discovered a serenity in his counten- 
ance, as if satisfied with sacrificing to divine jus- 
tice the instrument of his crime. '- When the 
fire attacked his body, he seemed to be insensi- 
ble of his tortures : his mind was occupied whol- 
ly upon the hopes of a future reward. After his 
body was destroyed, his heart was found entire; 
an emblem of the constancy with which he suf- 



O jidsmith"* History of England. 



64 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

21. 

MASSACRE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEWS. 

In the month of August 1572, in the reign of 
Charles Ninth of France, 30,000, or as some af- 
firm, 100,000 Protestants were massacred in 
France by the Catholics. This bloody massa- 
cre commenced in Paris, on the 24th of August, 
on St. Bartholomew's day. 

In order the sooner to effect their purposes by 
cutting off the leaders of the Protestants, many 
of the principal Protestants in the kingdom, 
were invited to Paris under a solemn oath of 
safety, upon occasion of the marriage of the king 
of Navarre, with the French king's sister. The 
queen dowager of Navarre, a zealous Protest- 
ant, however, was poisoned by a pair of gloves 
before the marriage was solemnized. Upon a 
given signal, the work of death began. — Charles 
the savage monarch, from the windows of his 
palace, encouraged the furious populace to mas- 
sacre his Protestant subjects, by crying out, kill ! 
kill ! 

Cologni, admiral of France, was basely mur- 
dered in his own house, and then throw r n out of 
the window, to gratify the malice of the duke of 




MA4AATK.K mt S\ EABTlOLOMT.Vf 




«f/>vn/n<j/s 4m<&-m/**/ fir ttw fnyaiti/uvt. <wt lAsJr 



RELIGIOUS BTBlfTI 

(iuise ; Ins head was afte r wards cut off, andscnl 
to the king and queen mother ; and his body, af- 
ter many indignities offered to it, hung on a gib 
bet. After this, the murderers ravaged the whole 
city of Pans, and butchered in three days, above 
ten thousand lords, gentlemen, presidents and 
people of all ranks. An horrible scene of things 
9ays a historian of the time, when the very streets 
and passages resounded with the noise of those 
who met together for murder and plunder ; the 
groans of those who were dying, the shrieks of 
those who were just going to be butchered were 
every where heard ; the bodies of the slain were 
thrown out of the windows, the dead bodies of 
others were dragged through the streets ; their 
blood running through the channels, in such plen- 
ty, that torrents seemed to empty themselves in 
the neighbouring river; in a word, an innumer- 
able number of men, women, and children, were 
all involved in one common destruction ; and 
the gates and entrances of the king's palace, all 
besmeared with their blood. 

From the city of Paris, the massacre spread 
throughout the whole kingdom. In the city of 
Meaux, they threw above two hundred into 

£aol j and after they had ravished and killed a 

7 



66 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

great number of women, and plundered the hous- 
es of the Protestants, they executed their fury 
on those they had imprisoned, and calling them 
one by one, they were killed like sheep in a mar- 
ket. In Orleans, they murdered above five hun- 
dred men, women and children, and enriched 
themselves with the spoil. The same cruelties 
were practised at Angus, Troyes, Bouges, La 
Charite, and especially at Lyons, where they in- 
humanly destroyed above eight hundred Pro- 
testants ; children hanging on their parents 
necks ; parents embracing their children ; put- 
ting ropes about the necks of some, dragging 
them through the streets, and throwing them, 
mangled, torn, and half dead, into the river. 

But what aggravates these scenes with still 
greater wantonness and cruelty, was, the man- 
ner in which the news was received at Rome. 
When the letters of the Pope's legates were read 
in the assembly of the Cardinals, by which he as- 
sured the Pope that all was transacted by the ex- 
press will & command of the king, it was immedi- 
ately decreed that the Pope should march with his 
Cardinals to the Church of St. Mark, and in the 
most solemn manner, give thanks to God for so 
great a blessing conferred on the See of Rome, 



mm! the Christian World ; and that on the Mon- 
day after! solemn m iss should be celebrated in 

the church of Minerva, at which, the Pope (ire 
I Thirteenth, and Cardinal* were pres 

and that a jubilee should be published through- 
out the whole Christian World, and the cause 
of it declared to be, to return thanks to God (or 
the extirpation of the enemies pf the truth and 
church in France. 

In the evening, the cannon of St. Angelo were 
fifed to testify the public joy ; the whole city il- 
luminated with bonfires ; and nc one sign of re- 
joicing omitted that was usually made for the 
test victories obtained in favor of the Ro 
man Church ! ! ! 



22. 

ALTO DE FE, OR ACT OF FAITH. 

• Act of Faith {Auto dc Fe) in the Romish 
Church, is a solemn day held by the Inquisition 
lor the punishment of heretics and the absolution 
of the innocent accused. They usually con- 
trive the Auto to fall on some great festival, that 
the execution may pass with the more awe, and 
it is always on a Sunday. The Auto dc Fe may 



68 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 



be called the last act of the Inquisitorial trage- 
dy ; it is a kind of goal delivery, appointed as of- 
ten as a competent number of prisoners in the 
Inquisition are convicted of heresy, either by 
their own voluntary or extorted confession, or 
on the evidence of certain witnesses. The pro- 
cess is this : — In the morning they are brought 
into the great hall, where they have a certain 
habit put on, which they are to wear in the pro- 
cession, and by which they know their doom. 
The procession is led up by the Dominican fri- 
ars, after which come the penitents, being all in 
black coats without sleeves, and barefooted, 
with a wax candle in their hands. These are 
followed by the penitents who have narrowly es- 
caped being burnt, who over their black coats 
have flames painted, with their points turned 
downwards. JN ext come the negative or relaps- 
ed, who are to be burnt, having flames painted 
on their habits pointing upwards. After these, 
come such as profess doctrines contrary to the 
faith of Rome, who besides having flames paint- 
ed upwards, have their picture painted on their 
breasts, with dogs, serpents, and devils, all open- 
mouthed, about it. Each prisoner is attended 
with a familiar of the Inquisition ; and those to 



23 




ILSOMAM' "WfcHRgHIP 




pnzvmp tir^tTie 7it£ of7ier fMld. 




oft?u> Ffymozit7t Settlers ont?ie 22<?ofI)ec.Z620. 



RF1 

be burnt, have a] suit on each hand, who 

are continually preaching to them to ifejure 
After the pris op ol la. mi 

on horseback; and after them the Inquisitors, 

and other officers of the court on mules : last oi 
all, the Inquisitor General on a white horse led 
by two men. 

A scaffold is erected large enough for two or 
three thousand people ; at one end of which are 
the prisoners, at the other the Inquisitors. Af- 
ter a sermon made up of encomiums of the In- 
quisition, and invectives against heretics, a 
priest ascends a desk near the scaffold, and, 
having taken the abjuration of the penitents, re- 
cites the final sentence of those who are to be 
put to death, and delivers them to the secular 
arm, earnestly beseeching at the same time, the 
secular power not to touch their blood, or put their 
:cr ! ! ! The prisoners, being thus 
in the hands of the civil magistrate, are present- 
ly loaded with chains, and carried first to the 
ilar gaol, and from thence, in an hour or two. 
brought before the civil judge; who, after ask- 
ing in what religion they intend to die, pronoun- 
sentence on such as declare they die in the 
•ommunion of the Church of Rome, that Uiev 



70 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

shall first be strangled, and then burnt to ashes ; 
or such as die in any other faith that they be 
burnt alive. Both are immediately carried to 
theRibera, the place of execution, where there 
are as many stakes set up as there are prisoners 
to be burnt, with a quantity of dry furze about 
them. The stakes of the professed, that is, such 
as persist in their heresy, are about four yards 
high, having a small board towards the top for 
the prisoner to be seated on. The negative and 
relapsed being first strangled and burnt, the pro- 
fessed mount their stakes by a ladder, and the 
Jesuits, after several repeated exhortations to be 
reconciled to the church, part with them ; tell- 
ing them that they leave them to the devil, who 
is standing at their elbow, to receive their souls, 
and carry them to the flames of hell. On this a 
great shout is raised ; and the cry is " Let the 
dogs 1 beards be made /" which is done by thrust- 
ing flaming furzes fastened to long poles against 
their faces, till their faces are burnt to a coal, 
which is accompanied with the loudest acclama- 
tions of joy. At last fire is set to the furze at the 
botom of them, over which the professed are 
chained so high, that the top of the flame seldom 
reaches higher than the seat they sit on ; so that 



ted than burnt Th 
cannot be a more lamentable spectacle; the sui 

Ontinually cry OUt, while they are able, 
• Pity for the love of God !" Vat it is beheld 
and ages, with transports of joy and 
tion "* 



23. 



KKLIGIOL S RITES, OPINIONS, &c. OF THE 
NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 

The Indians of this country were generally 
Polytheists, or believed in a plurality of Gocis. 
Some were considered as local deities ; yet they 
believed that there was one Supreme God, 
or Great Spirit, the Creator of the rest, and of 
all creatures and things. Him, the natives of 

. -England called Kichtan They believed 
that good men, at death, ascended to Kichtan, 
above the heavens, where they enjoyed their 

irted friends and all good things | that bad 
men also went and knocked at (he gate of glory, 
but kichtan badethem depart, for there was no 
place for such, whence they wandered in rest- 

• Bucks Theological Dictionary. 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 



less poverty. This Supreme Being they held to 
be good, and prayed to him when they desired 
any great favor, and paid a sort of acknowledg- 
ment to Him, for plenty, victory. &c. The man- 
ner of worship in many of the Indian tribes, was 
to sing and dance around a large fire. 

There was another power which they called 
Hobbamock, in English the Devil, of whom they 
stood in greater awe, and worshipped him merely 
from a principle of fear, and it is said that they 
sometimes even sacrificed their own children to 
appease him.* They prayed to him to heal 
their wounds and diseases. When found cura- 
ble, he was supposed to be the author of their 
complaints ; when they were mortal, they were 
ascribed to Kichtan, whose diseases none are 
able to remove ; therefore, they never prayed to 
him in sickness. Their priests, which were call- 
ed Powazos, and their chief warriors, pretended 
often to see Hobbamock in the shape of a man. 
fawn, or eagle, but generally of a snake, who 
gave them advice in their difficult undertakings. 
The duty and office of the Powaws, was to pray 
10 Hobbamock for the removal of evils ; the 
common people joined or said amen. In his* 

* Morse and Parish's Hist, of N. E. 








FB-E^CIHI JFUMMFJUDHnrS 




&ABMXM 



Gr m md £ 



UUQIOUfl i 

prayer the Powaw promised skins, kettles, 
hatchets ^v< as sacrifices, if his request 

The apparent insensibility of the Indians uu 
der pains and wounds is well known ; yet the) 
had awful apprehensions of death. 

Winn sick, and all hope of recovery wa^ 
e, their I 9obs and sighs, their wring 

ing hands, their flowing tears, and dismal cries 
and shri- re enough to excite sympathy 

from the hardest heart. Their affection waa 
very strong for their children, who by indul 
gence were saucy and undutiful. A fathei 
would sometimes through grief and rage for the 
loss of a child, stab himself. Some tribes of In- 
dians would not allow of mentioning the nam* 
of a friend after death. When a person died, 
they generally buried with him his bow and ar- 
rows, dogs, and whatever was valuable to him 
while living, supposing he would want them in 
another world, as their ideas of the happiness of 
heaven consisted in finding plenty of game,, 
feasting, i 

The Indians appeared to have distinct tradi- 
tions of the creation and deluge, and some of 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 



their words, rites, and ceremonies, bear a strong 
affinity to those of the ancient Hebrews. 



THE INDIAN MOTHER. 

The following account taken from Mather's 
Magnalia, serves to show us, that the Almighty 
has not left himself without a witness, even 
among pagan nations, and it does not become us 
to say that the Lord does not reveal himself at 
times to those who look to him for help, who 
never have heard of the way of Life and Salva- 
tion by Jesus Christ. 

Pammehanuit, an Indian of prime quality, on 
Martha's Vineyard, and his wife, having buried 
their first five children successively, every one 
of them within ten days of their birth, notwith- 
standing all their use ofpowaws and of medicines 
to preserve them, — they had a sixth child, (a 
son) born about the year 1638, which was a few 
years before the English first settled on the Vine- 
yard. The mother w r as greatly perplexed with 
fear that she should lose this child, like the for- 
mer ; and utterly despairing of any help from 
such means as had been formerly tried with so 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. <.» 

little success, as soon as she was able, with a 
-01 row ful heart, she took up her child, and went 
out into the field, that she might weep out her 
sorrows. While she was musing on the insuffi- 
< iency of all human help, she felt it powerfully 
suggested unto her mind, that there is one Al- 
vnghty God who is to be prayed unto : that this 
God had created all the things that we see ; and 
that the God who had given being to herself, and 
all other people, arid given her child unto her, teas 
easily able to continue the life of her child. 

Hereupon, this poor pagan woman resolved, 
that she would seek unto this GOD for that mer- 
cy, and she did accordingly. The issue was, that 
her child lived ; and her faith in him, who thus 
answered her prayer, was wonderfully strength- 
ened; the consideration whereof caused her to 
dedicate this child unto the service of that God 
who had preserved his life ; and educate him as 
far as might be, to become the servant of God. 

Not long after this, the English came to settle 
on Martha's Vineyard; and the Indians who 
had been present at some of the English devo- 
tions, reported that they assembled frequently 
together, and that the man who spoke among 

m, often looked upward This woman from 



76 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

this report, presently concluded, that their assem- 
blies were for prayers ; and that their prayers 
were unto that very God whom she had address- 
ed for the life of her child. She was confirmed 
in this, when the Gospel was not long after 
preached by Mr. Mayhew to the Indians ; 
which gospel she readily, cheerfully and heartily 
embraced. And in the confession that she made 
publicly at her admission into the church, she 
gave a relation of the preparation for the knowl- 
edge of Christ, wherewith God had in this re- 
markable way favored her. Her child (whose 
name was Japhet,) became afterwards an emin- 
ent minister of Christ. He was pastor to an In- 
dian Church on Martha's Vineyard, he also took 
much pains to carry the Gospel unto other In- 
dians on the main land, and his labours were 
attended with much success. 



25, 

PLYMOUTH SETTLERS. 

The Colony at Plymouth, Mass. (the first Eu- 
ropean settlement in New-England,) was plant- 
ed principally for the sake of the free and undis- 



RBL1GKN - RVINTS. ~* i 

Uirbcd enjoyment of religious and civH liberty. 
The Dokwrit tl * finally from the north ot 

'land; and were of that class of people id 
those days called Puritans, so named from then 
uncommon zeal in endeavouring to preserve the 
[unity of divine worship. 

Being persecuted by their enemies, during the 
D of James First, they fled with their pastor, 
to Amsterdam in Holland, in 1603. Theyaf- 
terwsrdfl removed to Leyden, where they 
mained till they sailed for America. 

Having resolved upon a removal, they pro- 
cured two small ships and repaired to Plymouth. 
(Eng.) and from thence they proceeded about 
100 leagues on their voyage, when they were 
compelled to return, in consequence of one of 
the ships being leaky. This ship was condemn- 
ed, and the oth< r. called the Mag-Flower, being 
crowded with passengers, asain put to sea, Sept. 
8th ; on the 9th of November, after a dangerous 
passage, they arrived at Cape Cod, and the next 
day anchored in the harbour which is formed by 
the hook of the Cape. 

Before they landed, having devoutly given 

thanks to God for their safe arrival, they formed 

8 



78 KELIGIOI/S EVENTS, 

themselves into a " body politic," and chose Mr. 
John Carver their Governor for the first year. 

Their next object was to fix on a convenient 
place for settlement. In doing this they en- 
countered many difficulties — many of them were 
sick in consequence of the fatigues of a long voy- 
age — their provisions were bad — the season was 
uncommonly cold — the Indians, though after- 
wards friendly, were now hostile — and they 
were unacquainted with the coast. These diffi- 
culties they surmounted ; and on the 22d of 
December, 1620, they safely landed at a place, 
which they named Plymouth. The anniversary 
of their landing is still celebrated by the descend- 
ants of the Pilgrims, as a religious festival. 

The whole company that landed consisted of 
but 101 souls. Their situat ; on and prospects 
were truly dismal and discouraging. The near- 
est European settlement was 500 miles distant, 
and utterly incapable of affording them relief in 
a time of famine or danger. Wherever they 
turned their eyes, distress was betore them. 
u Persecuted in their native land, — grieved for 
profanation of the holy Sabbath, an 1 other li- 
centiousness in Holland — fatigued by their long 
and boisterous voyage — forced on a dangerous 



Kl.l.U.lOlS I.\ I .\ ;h 

and unknown shore id the advance of a coKI 
winter — surrounded with hostile barbarians, 
without any hope of human succor — denied the 
aid or favor of the court of England — without a 

patent — Without a public promise 1 of the p( 
able enjoyment of their religious liberties — with- 
out convenient shelter from the rigours of the 
weather. — Such were the prospects and such 
the situation of these pious ami solitary chris- 
tians. To add to their distresses, a very mor- 
tal sickness prevailed among them, which swept 
off forty-six of their number before the ensuing 
spring. 

" To support them under these trials, they had 
need of all the aids and comforts which Chris- 
tianity afibrds ; and these were found sufficient. 
The free and unmolested < njoyment of their reli- 
gion, reconciled them to their lonely situation — 
they bore their hardships 1 with unexampled pa- 
tience, and persevered in their pilgrimage of al- 
most unparalleled trials, with such resignation 
and calmness, as gave proof of great piety and 
unconquerable virtue/' 



8Q RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

26. 

ELLIOT, THE INDIAN MISSIONARY. 

In 1650, the society in England instituted for 
propagating the gospel, began a correspondence, 
with the commissioners of the Colonies of New- 
England, who were employed as agents of the 
society. In consequence, exertions were made 
to christianize the Indians. Mr. John Elliot, 
minister of Roxbury, distinguished himself in 
this pious work. He collected the Indian fam- 
ilies, and established towns, he taught them 
husbandry, the mechanic arts, and a prudent 
management of their affairs, and instructed them 
with unwearied attention in the principles of 
Christianity. For his uncommon zeal and suc- 
cess, he has been called the Apostle of New-Eng- 
land, 

Mr. Elliot began his labours about the year 
1646. His first labour was to learn their lan- 
guage, which was peculiarly difficult to acquire ; 
for instance, the Indian word Nummatchechod- 
tantamooonganunnonash signified no more in 
English than our lusts* Elliot having finished 
a grammar of this tongue, at the close of which, 

" Mather's Magnalia, vol. 1. 



UUCfOVI EVEN I %] 

lie Wrote Prayers and pains through v faith in 
Christ will da any thing ! With very great la- 
bour he translated the whole bible into the In- 
dian language. This Bible was printed in 1664, 
at Cambridge, and was the first Bible ever print- 
ed in America. He also translated the Prac- 
tice of Piety, Baxter's call to the Unconverted, 
besides some smaller works, into the Indian 
tongue. Having performed many wearisome 
journeys, and endured many hardships and pri- 
vations, this indefatigable Missionary closed his 
labours in 1690, aged eighty-six years. 

The ardour and zeal of Elliot, Mayhew and 
others, were crowned with such success, that in 
1660, there were ten town> of Indians in Massa- 
chusetts, who were converted to the Christian 
Religion. In 1695, there were not less than 
three thousand adult Indian converts in the Isl 
- of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. 



27. 

THE FRENCH PROPHETS. 

W i find io Ecclesiastical History, many ac- 
counts given of Enthusiasts who have arisen. 



82 KEUGIOUS EVENTS. 

and have pretended to be under the immediate 
inspiration of God, and to have the gift of foretel- 
ling future events, the gift of tongues, discerning 
of spirits, &c. as in the Apostle's time. Among 
those who have made the greatest figure in mo- 
dern times, were the French Prophets, who first 
appeared in Dauphiny and Vivarais in France. 
In the year 1688, five or six hundred Protestants 
of both sexes, gave themselves out to be proph- 
ets, and inspired of the Holy Ghost. They 
were people of all ages and sexes, without dis- 
tinction, though tae greatest part of them were 
boys and girls from six or seven to twenty-five 
years of age. They had strange fits which came 
upon them with tremblings and faintings, as in a 
swoon, which made them stretch out their arms 
and legs, and stagger several times before they 
dropped down. They struck themselves with 
their hands, they fell on their backs, shut their 
eyes and heaved with their breasts. They re- 
mained awhile in trances, and, coming out of 
them with twitchings, uttered all which came 
into their mouths. They said they saw the 
heavens open, the angels, paradise, and hell. 
The least of their assemblies made up four or 
five hundred, and some of them amounted ft) 



KM k.IOl > i,\ UfTl 

even three or four thousand persons. When 
the Prophets had lor a while been under Bgjfta- 
tions of body, they began to prophecy. The 
burden of their prophecies, was, ib Amend your 
; repent ye; ike end of all things Urates 
nigh P* 

In the year 1706, three or four of these Proph- 
ets went over into England, and carried their 
prophetic spirit with them, which discovered it- 
self iu the same way and manner, by ecstacies, 
agitations, and inspirations under them, as it had 
done in France ; and they propagated the like 
spirit to others, so that before the year was out, 
there were two or three hundred of these proph- 
ets in and about London, consisting of men, 
women, and children ; who delivered four or 
live hundred warnings. The great things preten- 
ded by their spirit, was, to give warning of the 
near approach of the kingdom of God, and the ac- 
complishment of the Scriptures, concerning the 
new heaven and new earth, the kingdom of the Dies- 
:. the first resurrcdion,\\\e new Jernsalemdc- 
gf from above, which they said was now 
even at the door; that this great operation was to 
be wrought on the part of man by spiritual arms 
only, proceeding from the mouths of those, who 



*t RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

should by inspiration, or the mighty gift of the 
Spirit, be sent forth in great numbers to labour 
in the vineyard ; that this mission of his servants, 
should be witnessed to by signs and wonders 
from heaven, by deluge of judgments on the 
wicked, universally throughout the world, as 
famine, pestilence, earthquakes, &c. They de- 
clared that all the great things they spoke of, 
would be manifest over the whole earth within 
the term of three years. 

These prophets also pretended to have the gift 
of languages, of discerning the secrets of the 
heart, the gift of ministration of the same spirit 
to others by the laying on of the hands, and the 
gift of healing. 



28. 

SABATAI SEVI, THE FALSE MESSIAH. 

Since the coming of our Saviour, according 
to his prediction there has arisen among the 
Jews (who still look for the Messiah to come) 
many false Messiahs. The most distinguished 
of these impostors in modern times, was one 
Sabatai SevU who was born at Aleppo, and set 
hftnself up as the Messiasin the year 1666. 



RELIGIOUS Kvr.N | 

Having visited various places io the Turkish 
empire. Sabatai began in Jerusalem to reform 
the Jewish constitution. He had one Nathan 
for his Klias. or forerunner, who prophesied that 
the Messiah should appear before the Grand 
nior in less than two years, and take from 
him his crown, and lead him in chains. 

At Gaza. Sabatai preached repentance;, togeth- 
er with faith in himself, so effectually, that thr 
people 1 gave themselves up to their devotions and 
alms. The noise of this lYlessias now began to 
fill all places 1 . Sabatai now resolved to go to 
Smyrna, and then to Constantinople. The 
Jews now throughout Turkey were in great 
expectation of glorious times. They were now- 
devout and penitent, that they might not ob- 
struct the good they hoped for. Some fasted so 
long that they vvefe famished to death ; others 
buried themselves in the earth till their limbs 
grew stiff; with many other painful penances. 
alai now came to Smyrna, where he styled 
himself the only and first born Son of God, the 
Messias, the Saviour of Israel. Here he met 
with some opposition, but prevailed at last to 
that degree, that some of his followers prophe- 
sied, and fell into strange extasies : and foul:- 



86 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

hundred men and women prophesied of his grow- 
ing kingdom. The people were for a time pos- 
sessed, and voices were heard from their bow- 
els : some fell into trances, foamed at the 
mouth, recounted their future prosperity, their 
visions of the Lion of Judah, and the triumphs 
of Sabatai. All which, says the relator, were 
certainly true, being the effects of diabolical de- 
lusions, as the Jews themselves have since con- 
fessed. 

From Smyrna, the impostor embarked for 
Constantinople, where he said God had called 
him, and where he had much to do. He had a 
long and troublesome voyage, and upon his arri- 
val, the Grand Vizer sent for him, and confined 
him in a loathsome dungeon. The Jews in this 
city paid him their visits, and appeared to be as 
infatuated as those of Smyrna. Sabatai after 
remaining two months a prisoner in Constanti- 
nople, was sent by the Grand Vizer to the Dar* 
danelli. The Jews here flocked in great num- 
bers to the castle where he was confined, and 
treated him with great respect. They decked 
their synagogues withS. S. in letters of gold, and 
made for him in the wall a crown ; they attribit- 



i mom i M 

fed the same titles and prophecies to him, which 
we apply to our Saviour. 

He was also, during this imprisoument visited 
by pilgrims from all parts, that beard hi 

\mong those was Nehemiah Cohen, from l j < 
land, a man of great learning, who desin 

ference with Sabatai, the result of which. 
convinced him that he was an impostor. 

Nehemiah accordingly informs the Turkish 
officers of State, that Sabatai was a lewd 
dangerous person, and that it was necessary to 
take him out of their way. The Grand Seignior 
being informed of this, sent for Sabatai. who, 
much dejected, appears before him. 

The Grand Seignior required a miracle, and 
chooses one himself; and it was this : that 9k- 
batai should be stripped naked, and set for a 
mark for his archers to shoot at ; and if the ar- 

should not pierce his flesh, he would i 
him to be the Messiah. Sabatai had not faith 
enough to bear up under so greaf a trial. The 
Grand Seignior let him k r he would 

forthwith impale him. and that the - a 
prepared for him, tint* ould turn T 

Upon this he consented to turn Mahometan, to 
the great confusion of the J 



88 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

29, 

SCOTCH COVENANTERS. 

Scotland is among the last civilized coun- 
tries where the horrors of religious persecution 
raged to any great extent. In 1 58 1 , the general 
assembly of Scotland drew up a confession of 
faith, or national covenant, condemning the 
Episcopal government under the name of hie- 
rarchy, which was signed by James First, and 
which he enjoined on all his subjects. It was 
again subscribed in 1590 and 1596. The sub- 
scription was renewed in 1638, and the subscri- 
bers engaged by oath to maintain religion in the 
same state, as it was in 1580, and to reject all 
innovations introduced since that time. This 
oath, annexed to the confession of faith, receiv- 
ed the name of Covenant, as those who subscrib- 
ed it were called Covenanters, 

During the storm of religious persecution 
which raged in Scotland, the Covenanters 
were hunted from craig toglen, throughout the 
highlands. " The story of their sufferings is 
almost incredible. Nothing can be more af- 
fecting, than the measures they took to en- 
joy the privileges of religious worship. Watch- 







^^^^m|^^|^ 


v£ ♦ - i- 


3 ,>v: T , |j 


^ilii^^^MB 


||§jpl?!liiifbk J||i||§i| 




i ■ ; ; ^yiiilM ^^ 


«y s|pW 


^~M&jl(&1%tt£&B2§m 


w3b&^'-&SmW^ 





SCOTCH CWE^AKTEIRS 




MCHLOTlAW MIS gXC^&JRX 
instructing the £sqnima.n& Jnduzns. 




tTio iJamsh Missionary prea^kmg to t?io Hindoos 



RBI ' I i BfT& Bfl 

itioned fiora bill to Iiill— i ..- 

sun-burnt and worn out that lln-y could be 

I from the heather of the 

mountains, w ho i the ap- 

proach of danger, and the Covenanters had I 

to disperse, before the bloody swords gleamed 
in the retreats in which they worshipped. \n 
the gloomy caverns and recesses made by the 
awful band that fashioned Scotland's mountain 

scenery, these martyrs, each one mourning s< 
dear friend, who had been hunted down by the 
destroyers, met and heard the mysterious words 
of God, and sung such wild songs of devotion. 
that they might have been thought the chant- 
ings of the mountain spirits. As their sufferings 
increased, their sermons and devotional exer- 
cises approached nearer to the soul chilling 
trumpetings of the ancient prophets, when the} 
foresaw desolation coming out of the north like a 
whirlwind." 

The meeting of an assembly of Covenanters 
to hear the preaching of the word of God, is thus 
beautifully described by the Scottish poet Gra- 
hame. 

44 But years more gloomy followed ; and no mor»* 
The assembled people dared, in face of day. 

9 



90 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

To worship God, or even at the dead 
Of night, save when the wintry storm raved fierce.. 
And thunder peals compelled the men of blood 
To couch within their dens ; then dauntlessly 
The scattered few would meet, in some deep dell 
By rocks o'er-canopied, to hear the voice, 
Their faithful pastor's voice ; He, by the gleam 
Of sheeted lightnings, oped the sacred book 
And words of comfort spake : Over their souls 
His soothing accents came, — as to her young 
The heath-fowl's plumes, when, at the close of eve, 
She gathers in, mournful, her brood dispersed 
By murderous sport, and o'er the remnant spreads 
Fondly her wings ; close nestling 'neath her breast. 
They, cherish'd cower amid the purple blooms." 



30. 

MORAVIAN MISSIONARIES. 

The Moravians or United Brethren, are a 
sect generally said to have arisen under Count 
Zinzendorf, a German nobleman of the last cen- 
tury, who when some of their brethren were 
driven by persecution from Bohemia, afforded 
them an asylum on his estates, built them a vil- 
lage called Herrnhut or Watch-Hill and united 
himself with them. 

According to the society's own account, how- 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 91 

ever, they derive their frigid from the Greek 
church in the Ninth century. 

The Iniicd Brethren are much distinguished 
tor their Missionary zeal; and it is said thai 
there is no sect of Christians \vh> have doin 
much according to their number and means, for 
the cause of Missions, as have the Moravians. 
M Their Missionaries' 1 as one observes, " are 
all volunteers ; for it is an inviolable maxim 
with them to pprsuade no man to engage in mis- 
sions. They are all of one mind as to the doc- 
trines they teach, and seldom m;tke an attempt 
where there are not half a dozen ot them in the 
Mission. Their zeal is calm, steady, and per- 
severing. They would reform the world, but 
are careful how they quarrel with it. They 
carry their point by address, and the insinua- 
tions of modesty and mildness, which commend 
them to all men, and give offence to none. The 
habits of silence, quietness, and decent reserve, 
mark their character. If anv of their missiona- 
ries are carried off by sickness, orcasuality, men 
of the same stamp are ready to supply their 
place." 

The most flourishing missions of the brethren 
•t present, are those in Greenland, Antigua, St. 



92 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

Kitts 5 the Danish West India islands, the Cape 
of Good Hope, and among the Esquimaux on 
the Labrador coast. 

When we consider the hardships, the suffer- 
ings and privations, which a missionary must ne- 
cessarily undergo while among the degraded 
Hottentots, amid the deserts of South Africa, or 
amidst the mountains of ice and snow of Green- 
land, or the barren coasts of Labrador, we must 
allow that the Moravian Missionaries possess a 
large share of that zeal which distinguished the 
first Apostles of Christianity. 

As to the number of the Moravians, the Breth- 
ren in their home settlements reckon but twelve 
or fourteen thousand members ; their converts 
among the heathen and in their remote settle- 
ments, are computed at about thirty thousand- 



31. 



XEIGENBALG AND SWARTZ, THE DANISH 
MISSIONARIES. 

The first Protestant Mission in India, was 
founded by Bartholomew Zeigenbalg, at Tran- 
quebar, on the Coromandel coast, 6 about the year 
1707. Ziegenbalg was ordained by the bishop 









ot Zealand mi tl ity-thtrd year of his age, 

and sailfil tor India in 170ft In the second 
of his ministry he founded a Christian 

Church among the Hindoo-, which has been 
tiding its limits to the present tunc He 
a on this mission under thedirectkm of Fred- 
erick Fourth, King of Denmark ; he was also 
patronized in Great Britain, by u the ( 
for promoting Christian Knowledge. 91 Princi- 
pally through his great labours, a grammar and 
dictionary was formed, and the Bible was trans- 
lated into the Tamul tongue, after having devot- 
ed fourteen years to the work Ziegenbalg died 
at the early age of thirt) M. " Perceiv- 

ing that his last hour was at hand, he called his 
Hindoo congregation and partook of the holy 
communion u amidst ardent prayers and tears ;" 
and afterwards addressing them in a solemn 
manner, took an affectionate leave of them. 
Being reminded by them of the faith of the Apos- 
tle of the Gentiles, at the prospect of death, 
who " desired to be with Christ, as far better," 
he said, " That is also my dean. Washed from 
my sins in his blood, and clothed with his right- 
eousness, 1 shall enter into his heavenly king- 
dom." 1 pray that the thines which 1 have spo- 
9* 



94 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

ken maybe fruitful. Throughout this whole 
warfare, 1 have entirely endured by Christ ; and 
now I can say through him — " 1 have fought the 
good fight 5 I have finished my course ; I have 
kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for 
me acrozra of righteousness," which words hav- 
ing spoken, he desired that the Hindoo children 
about his bed, and that the multitude about the 
house, might sing the hymn, beginning " Jesus 
my Saviour Lord." Which when finished, he 
yielded up his spirit, amidst the rejoicings and 
lamentations of a great multitude ; some rejoic- 
ing at his triumphant death, and early entrance 
into glory. And others lamenting the early loss 
of their faithful Apostle ; who had first brought 
the light of the Gospel to their dark region from 
the western world." 

The Rev. Christian F. Swartz, undertook a 
mission to India, under the government of Den- 
mark, in 1750, and after laboring many years 
at Tranquebar, and in the neighbouring country, 
he finally removed to Tanjore, where he con- 
tinued till his death, in 1798. 

His unblameable conduct, and devotedness 
to the cause of his master, gave him a surprising 
influence over all classes, and secured the confi- 



MU«K) 0.*> 

deuce of the bigoted Hindoo. Such was the 
respect that the Hindoos bad for Mr. Swartz, 
that ho bould go through the country unarmed 

i unhurt in time of war, when parties of arm- 
ed mm and robbers infested the country, they 
would say, " Let him alone, he is a man of God." 
He twice saved the fort of Tanjore, when the 

lit of the English was lost, when the credit 
of the Rajah was lost, on the view of an ap- 
proaching enemy, the people of the country re- 
fused to supply the fort with provisions 5 and the 
streets were covered wih the dead. But upon 
the bare word of Mr. Swartz, that they should 
be paid, they brought in a plentiful supply. He 
was appointed guardian to the family of the de- 
ceased king of Tanjore ; and he was employed 
repeatedly as a mediator between the English 
government and the country powers. The last 
twenty years of his life were spent in the educa- 
tion and religious instruction of children, par- 
ticularly of poor parents, whom he maintained 
and instructed gratuitously, and at his death 
willed his property to the mission at Tanjore. 
was uncommon. It is said he reck- 
oned 2000 persons savingly converted by his 



96 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

After this apostolical and venerable man had 
laboured fifty years in evangelizing the Hin- 
doos, so sensible were they of the blessing, that 
his death was considered as a public calamity. 
An innumerable multitude attended the funeral. 
The Hindoo Rajah " shed a flood of tears over 
the body? and covered it with a gold cloth." 
His memory is still blessed among the people.* 



32. 

WESLEY AND WHITEFIELD. 

Mr. John Wesley, the celebrated founder of 
Methodism, was the son of a clergyman of the 
Church of England. 

He was educated for the ministry, received 
Episcopal ordination, and ever considered him- 
self as a member of the Church of England. 

In the year 1 229, Mr. Wesley, then a fellow 
of Lincoln College, Oxford, with some others at 
the college, began to spend some evenings in 
reading the Greek Testament. They began al- 
so to visit the sick in different parts of the town, 
and the prisoners in the castle. They continu- 

* Dr. Buchanan. 



nil ioioi i 1 1 { y* 

ed in those laudable pra and in 17,35 the] 

were joined by the celebrated George White* 
field, then in his 1 8th year. At. this time, their 
Dumber in Oxford, amounted to about 14. 

They obtained their name from the exact n 

larityof their lives, which gave occasion to a 

young gentleman of Christ's Church to say 
M 1 fere is a iww seel of Methodists sprung up ;" 
alluding to a sect of ancient physicians who 
were called Methodists because they reduced 
the healing art to a few common principles, and 
brought it into some method and order. 

At the time Mr. Wesley and Mr. Whitefield 
entered upon their public ministerial labours, it 
is said that the whole kingdom of England was 
tending fast to infidelity. These men of God, 
filled with love for the souls of their fellow-men, 
and fired with an ardent zeal for their salvation, 
went forth preaching the Gospel in many places, 
with uncommon energy and power ; this brought 
upon them the opposition of the cold hearted and 
formal professors of Christianity. Many refus- 
ed to let them preach in their Churches. In 
consequence of this they were obliged to preach 
in the open air and in fields. They were often- 
times insulted, threatened, and hooted at by the 



98 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

mob, who in time of divine service cast at them 
stones, mud, dirt, &c. and in some instances 
they narrowly escaped with their lives. 

But notwithstanding the opposition, their la- 
bours were crowned with success. By their 
preaching out of doors, they drew together im- 
mense numbers, their congregations sometimes 
amounting to nearly twenty thousand persons. 
Thousands embraced the gospel, and many of 
the lower classes of society, who were degrad- 
ed by vice and immorality of every kind, now- 
changed their course of life, and became useful 
and respectable members of society. 

Mr. Wesley is universally allowed to have 
been an extraordinary and highly distinguished 
character, and " whatever may be thought of 
his peculiar sentiments, no one can deny him the 
credit of truly apostolic zeal and perseverance, 
in what he conceived to be the way of duty. 
His mode of address in public, was chaste and 
solemn, there was a divine simplicity, a zeal, a 
venerableness in his manner, which commanded 
attention, and when at four-score, he retained 
still all the liveliness of vigorous old age. For 
upwards of fifty years, he travelled 8,000 miles 
each year on an average, visiting his numerous 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. M 

societies, and presided at 47 annual conferences. 
For more than sixty years, it was his constant 
practice to rise at 4 o'clock in the morning j and 
nearly the whole of that period, to preach ever} 
morning at five. He general!) preached near 
twenty times in a week, and frequently four 
times a day. Notwithstanding this, very feu 
have written more than he; divinity, both con- 
troversial and practical ; history, philosophy, me- 
dicine, politics, poetry, &c. were all, at different 
times, the subjects on which his pen was em- 
ployed. Besides this, he found time for read- 
ing, correspondence, visiting the sick, and arran- 
ging the matters of his numerous societies : but 
such prodigies of labour, and exertion, would 
have been impossible, had it not been for his in- 
flexible temperance, and unexampled economy 
of time." After passing through evil report, and 
good report, during more than sixty years of in- 
cessant labour, he entered into his rest in the 
87th year of his a 

Mr. Whhefield w as remarkable for his un- 
common eloquence and fervent zeal. His 
eloquence was indeed very great, and of the 
truest kind. He was utterly devoid of all ap- 
pearance of affectation. The importance of 



100 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

his subject, and the regard due to his hearer*, 
engrossed all his concern. Every accent of his 
voice spoke to the ear, every feature of his face, 
every motion of his hands, and every gesture 
spoke to the eye ; so that the most dissipated 
and thoughtless, found their attention involunta- 
rily fixed, and the dullest and most ignorant 
could not but understand. 

Wherever he went, all ranks and sorts of 
people found their attention arrested, and prodi- 
gious numbers flocked to hear him, and thous- 
ands through his instrumentality, were brought 
into the kingdom of God. 

His fervent zeal and labours were not con- 
fined to the British Isles. He came over to our 
country several times, and preached in most of 
our principal cities ; every where crowds attend- 
ed his ministry, and his labours were crowned 
with abundant success. It is said that he preach- 
ed upwards of eighteen thousand sermons in the 
course of his ministry, which included thirty-four 
years. Mr. Whitefield died at Newburyport 
Mass. on the 30th of Sept. 1770, in the fifty- 
sixth year of his age, on his seventh visit to 
America. 




WHITBFIBLD Preaching' 




B PW2&BJI 




DEATH of VOLTAIRE 



101 

33. 

HOW IRDTHE PHILANTHROPIC 

John Howard, Esq theeelebratedpbilanthro 
born at I fackney, in England, aboul 
the year 1727. His lather died while he waf 
IDg, and by his direction, the son was apprcn- 
dtoa wholesale grocer; but this business 
neither Buiting his health or disposition, and a 
handsome fortune falling into his hands, he 
bought out his time before its regular expiration, 
and commenced his first travels on the contin- 
ent. After the death of his first wife, Mr. How- 
ard in 1756. made a voyage, in order to view 
f .isbon after the earthquake at that place, but 
was taken by a French privateer, and suffered 
in his confinement. By this means, his atten- 
tion seems to have been first excited to compas- 
sionate those persons •• who are sick, and in 

I pon his return from the continent, he in; 

ried the second time, but Ins u ife d fiori 

time aft bred to an estate 

dfordshire, where he vm 

much gained the esteem and affection of the 

poor, by building thei ploying 

10 



102 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

industrious, relieving the sick, and educating the 
children of the poor. In 1773, he served the 
office of sheriff for the county, which brought 
him further acquainted with the misery of pri- 
sons ; and from this he commenced his career 
of benevolence and glory. 

During the last seventeen years of his life, he 
visited every country in Europe, exploring their 
prisons and dungeons, and relieving the miser- 
ies of the distressed. He also published a num- 
ber of works on the state of prisons, hospitals, 
&c. In 1774, he received the thanks of the 
House of Commons- for his enquiries and exer- 
tions, Mr. Howard's character is well drawn 
by the celebrated Mr. Burke, who speaking of 
him, says,. " I cannot name this gentleman with- 
out remarking that his labours and writings have 
done much to open the eyes and hearts of 
mankind. He has visited all Europe, not to 
survey the sumptuousness of palaces, nor the 
stateliness of temples ; not to make accurate 
measurement of the remains of ancient gran- 
deur, nor to form a scale of the curiosities of mo- 
dern art ; not to collect medals, nor to collate 
manuscripts ; but to dive into the depths of dun- 
geons, to plunge into the infections of hospitals : 



RBueioua i mm- 1U:» 

to survey the mansions of Borrow and pain 5 to 

tak< md dimensions of misery, dtfffl 

ion, and oontempl ; to remember the forgotten ; 
tttend to the neglected \h visit the forsaken 1 
and to compare and collate the distl i all 

men in all countries. l!is plan is original, and 
it i< as full of genius as humanity, ft is a voy- 
0/ philanthropy — a circumnavigation of char- 

Mr. I low ard commenced his last journey in 
July 1789, in which he purposed to visit Tur- 
. Russia, and other parts of the East, and not 
to return under three years ; withal apprehend- 
ing that he, very probably, never might return, 
which proved to be the event ; for while he was 
at Cherson, a Russian settlement, near the north- 
ern extremity of the Black Sea, he visited a 
young lady at some distance, in a malignant fe- 
ver, caught the fatal infection, and died on Jan 
H), 1790. 

Dd now Benevole nre ! thy rays divine, 
Dart round tin Zetthla tothf Line ; 

r each dark prison plays the cheering licrht, 
Like northern lustres o'er the vault of night — 
l'rom realm to realm, wit: resccnt ero-\ 

Where'er mankind and misery arc found, 
O'er naming sands, nei p wave i, or wild* of snow, 

Thy Howard journeying seeks the house of • 



104 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

34, 

MODERN INFIDELITY. 

Previous to the French Revolution, Voltairt 
and some others formed a set design to destroy 
the Christian Religion. For this purpose, they 
engaged at different periods, a number of men 
of distinguished talents, power, and influence 5 
all deadly enemies to the Gospel ; men of profli- 
gate principles, and profligate lives. 

These men distinguished themselves with dil- 
igence, courage, activity, and perseverance, in 
the propagation of their sentiments. — Books 
were written, and published in innumerable 
multitudes, in which Infidelity was brought down 
to the level of peasants and even of children ; 
and poured into the cottage and school. Others 
of a superior kind, crept into the shop, and the 
farm-house ; and others of a still higher class, 
% found their way to the drawing room, the univer- 
sity, and the palace. By these and other ef- 
forts, Infidelity was spread with astonishing ra- 
pidity in many parts of Europe, particularly in 
France. 

In the year 1776, Dr. Adam Weishaupt, Pro- 
fessor of the Canon Law in the University of In- 




WJM&SMinP off tike <&!BAm3 LAMA. 



36 




MAJRTTiBJ>D>M <of ABMA L LJJI 




The ULol jTTG<&ll]R» r A.lITT 
(from a drawing raaJd T>v a 2&ufao artist.) 



1 KilOl S E\ M 

it- in Bavaria, establish iclety of 

the llluminati. Tins society wag distinguished 
beyond all others, for cunning, mischief, an ab- 
solute destitution of conscience, ae absolute dis- 
regard of all the hit ii. and a torpid 
insensibility to all moral obligation Their doc- 
trines were, that God is nothing ;■ that govern- 
ment is a curse, that the possession of property 
is robber?/ ; that chastity and natural affection* 

mere prejudices, and that adultery, assassma- 
lion, poisoning, and other crimes of a similar na- 
ture, are lawful, and even virtuous. 

The disciples of Voltaire finding this system 

^tem of more perfect corruption than their 
own, immediately united in its interests, and 
eagerly entered into all its plans, and purposes. 
These legions of infidelity united, went forward 
with astonishing success, till their abominable 
doctrines infected all classes of the French peo- 
ple. — The bloody storm of the French Revolu- 
tion commenced. — Then it was, that Infidelity 
obtained a complete triumph — the dagger of the 
assassin — the axe of the executioner — the infu- 
i iated mob was now let loose, and thousands 
and tens of thousands, perished — and the Na- 
tional Assemblv, in a public decree declared,. 
10* 



*06 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

that " there imo God, and that death is an eler 
nal sleepP 

Voltaire laboured through a long life to dif- 
fuse the poison of Infidelity, In life he had been 
pre-eminent in guilt, and at death in misery. 
He had for years been accustomed to call the 
adorable Saviour — " The wretch," and to vow 
that he would crush him. He closed many of 
his letters to his infidel friend with these words — 
;i Crush the wretch." This Apostle of Infidel- 
ity being laid upon his death-bed was in the ut- 
most horror of mind — in the first days of his ill- 
ness, he showed some signs of wishing to return 
to that God whom he had so often blasphemed. 
He made a declaration, he in fact renounced his 
infidelity, but in vain — despair and rage succeed- 
ed in such a manner, that the physicians who 
were called in to administer relief, retired, de- 
claring the death of the impious man too terrible 
to be sustained. 

In one of his last visits the doctor found him 
in the greatest agonies, exclaiming, with the ut- 
most horror, " 1 am abandoned by God and 
man." He then said, " Doctor, 1 will give you 
half of what I am worth, if you will give me six 
months life." The doctor answered, " Sir, you 



RELiiiiots rami, io'i 

i annot li\ h\ weeks." Voltaire n plied, u then 
1 shall go to lull, and you will go with me !" 
ltd 9000 after expired. 



35, 

WORSHIP OF THE GRAND LAMA. 

The Grand Lama is a name given to the S 
Pontiff or high priest of the Tibethian 
Tartars, who resides at a vast palace on a moun- 
tain near the banks of the Barampooter, about 
D miles from Lahassa. The foot of the 
mountain is inhabited by 2 '.000 lamas or priests, 
who have their separate apartments round about 
the mountain, and according to their quality are 
placed nearer, or at a greater distance from the 
reign Pontiff. He is not only worshipped 
the natives of Thibet, but also by the vanou- 
tribes of heathen Tartars, who roam through the 
aer part of Asia. The more remote Tar- 
:d to absolutely regard him, as the 
If, and call him God, the everlasting 
Father of Heaven. They believe him to be im- 
mortal, and endowed with all knowledge and 
tirttte Ev( >me from different 



t08 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

parts to worship, and make rich offerings at his 
shrine ; even the Emperor of China, who is a 
Manchon Tartar, worships him 9 and entertains 
at a great expence in the palace at Pekin, an 
inferior lama, deputed as his nuncio from Thi- 
bet. 

The Grand Lama, it has been said, is never 
to be seen but in a secret place of his palace, 
amidst a great number of lamps, sitting cross- 
iegged, on a cushion, and decked all over with 
precious stones, where at a distance the people 
prostrate themselves before him, it not being law- 
ful for any, so much as to kiss his feet. He re- 
turns not the least sign of respect, nor even speaks 
to the greatest princes ; but only lays his hand 
upon their heads, and they are fully persuaded 
they receive from thence a full forgiveness of all 
their sins. 

It is the opinion of the worshippers of the 
Grand Lama, that when the Grand Lama seems 
to die, either of old age x>r infirmity, his soul in 
fact, only quits a crazy habitation to look for 
one younger or better ; and is discovered again 
in the body of some child by certain tokens, 
known only to the lamas or priests, in which or- 
der he always appears.— Buckh Theological Die- 
tionarv* 




Bxtmz:lsim>!rp. 






"■••'- &^ r 


MB p"> , 






1 ~*^ -Me^fi 


^gS^j|Pis^i^S?j5^5^^53lBgflB?3Bc" 



BlTK3Ha'& of ID0X.0 
A' /v4^ n<j//vcs <r' {Hahette, ens <r' t/is S,>r/r/i Sea /<•/////</.<-. 28/3 




A M100IOYAKT PREATHIS'tt 



RE! 100 

36. 

IBDALLAH, THE kB IBIAN MARTYR. 

Ai,i>\iLAi' itimate friends, 

and 

fed to travel tog and to visit 

countries. They were both zealous Mahomet- 
3 the son oflbraham Sabat, a no- 
ble family of the line of Beni Sabat, who trace 
ee to Mahomet. The two friends 
left Arabia, after paying their adorations at the 
tomb of their prophet at Mecca, and travelled 
through Persia, and thence to Cabul. Abdallah 

appointed to an office of state, under 
maun Shah, kim>; of Cabul ; and Sabat left him 
there, and proceeded through Tartar v. 

While Abdallah remained at Cabul, he was 
converted to the Christian faith by the perusal 
Bible (as is supposed) belonging to a Chris- 
tian from Armenia, then residing at Cabul. In 
the Mabometa eath for a man 

of rank to become a Christian. — Vbdallah en- 
lime to ion. 

but finding it no Ion _ sible, he determined 

to ilee to some of the Christian churches neai 
the Caspian Sea. 1 1 Imgly left Cabul in 



110 RELIGIOUS EVENTS 

disguise, and had gained the great city of Bo 
chara, in Tartary, when he was met in the 
streets of that city by his friend Sabat, who im- 
mediately recognized him.— Sabat had heard of 
his conversion and flight, and was filled with in- 
dignation at his conduct. Abdallah knew his 
danger, and threw himself at the feet of Sabat. 
He confessed that he was a Christian, and im- 
plored him, by the sacred tie of their former 
friendship, to let him escape with his life. " But 
sir" said Sabat, when relating the story himself, 
" 1 had no pity," [ caused my servants to seize 
him, and 1 delivered him up to Morad Shah, 
king of Bochara. 

He was sentenced to die, and a herald went 
through the city of Bochara, announcing the time 
of his execution. An immense multitude attend- 
ed, and the chief men of the city- 1 also went 
and stood near Abdallah. He was offered his 
life if he would abjure Christ, the executioner 
standing by him with his sword in his hand. 
" No" said he, (as if the proposition were im- 
possible to be complied with) " I cannot abjure 
Christ." Then one of his hands were cut off at 
the wrist. He stood firm, his arm hanging by 
his side with but little motion. 



religious BVIK 111 

K pliysician by desire of the king, offered to 

heal the wound if he would recant. He made 
no answer, but looked up steadfast!} towards 
heaven, like Stephen the first martyr, his P 
streamed with tears 1 [e did not look with an- 

ardsme. He looked at me, but it was 
benignly, and with the countenance of forgive- 

1 1 1- other hand was then cut off. i; But 
sir, 11 said Sabat, in Ins impelled English, u he 
never changed, he never changed. And when 
he bowed his head to receive the blow of death, 
all Bochara seemed to say, "What new thing 
his V s — Dr. Buchanan. 



37. 

WORSHIP OF THE IDOL JUGGERNAUT 

The Idol Juggernaut is one of the deities wor- 
shipped by the Hindoos in India. The lollow- 
ing account of this Idol and its worship, an 
tracted from the Journal of Dr. Buchanan. 

ed the temple of Juggernaut, in Orissa, in 
1806. 

Ur. Buchanan. wi 

approaching Juggernaut, (and 



112 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

more than fifty miles from it) by the human bones 
which we have seen for some days strewed by 
the way." He found large bodies of pilgrims 
coming from various parts of northern India ; 
some had been two months on their march, tra- 
velling slowly in the hottest season of the year, 
with their wives and children. Some old per- 
sons were with them who wished to die at Jug- 
gernaut. Many of the pilgrims die on the road ; 
their bodies generally remain unburied ; and 
their flesh is devoured by dogs, jackalls and vul- 
tures. 

The temple of this Idol is a stupendous build- 
ing and the walls and gates are covered with in- 
decent emblems sculptured upon them. The 
ground in many places about this temple is liter- 
ally whitened by the bones of the pilgrims who 
have perished in this place. 

At the grand Hindoo festival of the Rutt Jat- 
tra, Juggernaut, the Moloch of Hindoostan, was 
brought out of his temple amidst the acclama- 
tions of hundreds of thousands of his worshippers. 
When the Idol was placed on his throne, a tre- 
mendous shout was raised by the multitude, 
which gradually died away ; after a short inter- 
val of silence, a body of men having green 






i u.iors 1 VI. \ | 1 ].. 

paldM in Hi* n hands, appro, i- 
with elerity. The people opened a waj 

Tor them: and when they camo up to the tin 
they loll down before him that sat thereon 

shipped. The multitude again sent forth a 
voice " like the sound of a great thunder." 

The throne of the Idol was placed on a stu- 
pendous car or tower about sixty feet in height, 
vesting; on wheels which indented the ground 
deeply, as they turned slowly this ponderous 
machine. Attached to it were six cables, of the 
and length of a ship's cable, by which the 
people drew it along. Upon the tower were the 
priests and satellites of the Idol, surrounding his 
throne. The Idol is a block of wood, having a 
frightful visage painted black, with a distended 
mouth of a bloody colour. His arms are of gold . 
and he is dressed in a gorgeous apparel." 

The car as it was drawn along, would stop at 
intervals, at which time the priests would mount 
it, pronounce their obscene stanzas, and per- 
form the most indecent actions, which would be 
responded by the people. After the tower had 
proceeded some way, a pilgrim offered himself 
as a sacrifice to the idol. He threw* himseli 

down in the road before the tower, as it wai 
11 



114 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

moving along, and was crushed to death by its 
wheels. A shout of joy was raised to the god. 
He is said to smile when the libation of blood is 
made. 

This festival continued a number of days, 
rind numbers devoted themselves as sacrifices to 
the Idol, by falling down before the wheels of his 
car. As to the number of people who attend 
these festivals, no accurate calculation can be 
made. The natives themselves, when speaking 
of the numbers at particular festivals, usually 
say that a lack of people (100,000) would not be 
missed. It is said however, of late years, such 
has been the influence of Christianity in India, 
that the number has been greatly lessened. 



38. 

MISSIONS AMONG THE HOTTENTOTS. 

The Hottentots in South Africa, have been 
considered as the lowest and most degraded of 
any portion of the human race. In their reli- 
gious views, they are but little removed from the 
brute creation, having no idea of the Supreme 
Being, and are apparently destitute of any reli- 



MUfllOUfl 1V£N 11. 

gtaui principle. * Their language is said to be n 

• ompound of discordant, inharmonious sound 

re resembling the jargon qf the featfo 

tribes, than the musical sounds of the human 
ce. — through the influence of Christianity, 

(he arts of civilized life have now been introdu- 
ced among them, and the liberal support, they 
to religious and charitable institutions, is a 

striking exhibition of the power of Christianity 
in raising men from ignorance and degradation 
to a rank among civilized and intelligent beings 
The United Brethren established a mission 
among this people in 1737, which was renewed 
179*2. Since this time, the London Missionary 
Society has sent out many missionaries. Be- 
thelsdorp, a settlement of Hottentots, is one ot 
the principal stations of the London Society, it 
is situated about 500 miles East of Cape Town, 
containing about 1400 inhabitants. Several 
Missionaries have laboured here with great per- 
■ ranee and success. Hundreds have been 
instructed in their schools, and from the lowest 
>tate of degradation, have become civilized, 
adorned a Christian profession, and haw 

.■m ~ Missionary Oa/rterr. 



116 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

contributed liberally to the funds of the Society 
and for the support of the poor. — In the latter 
part of 1821, Rev. Dr. Philip of Cape Town, 
(he Superintendent of the Society's Missions in 
the Colony, visited this station and made the 
following statement to the Society. " I now 
can meet the calumniators of missions, and the 
enemies of the Hottentots on their own ground, 
and challenge them to show me, in any part of 
the world, a people more capable of being im- 
proved than the abused Hottentots of South Af- 
rica, or attempts at civilization more complete 
in their success, than what may now be seen at 
Bethelsdorp." 



39. 



PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE 
SOUTH SEA ISLANDS. 

In the year 1796, the London Missionary So- 
ciety sent out to Otaheite, and other Islands, of 
the South Seas, a number of missionaries for the 
purpose of christianizing the natives, who gladly 
received them, as well as several others that 
xeve afterwards sent out in the year 1800. In 



UELKSIOUS EVEN. ill 

<--\|uen<vof disturbances in Otaheite in 1799. 

i Tal of tlu' Missionaries were obliged tateke 
reJtys in New South \\ ales, some of whom af- 
tcrwards returned to the Islands. For fifteen 

ra the .Missionaries laboured with little or no 

appearance of success, and were almost dis- 
couraged. The hopes and expectations of the 
friends of the Mission were almost lost, in res- 
i of the success of their endeavours to es- 
tablish Christianity in these Islands. 

But in 1812, Pomare, the king, declared his 
full conviction of the truth of the Gospel, his 
determination to worship the true God, and his 
desire to make a public profession of his faith bj 
being baptized. About the same time several 
other natives embraced Christianity. In 1815. 
the Missionaries estimated the professed wor- 
shippers of the true God at five hundred, among 
whom were several leading chiefs. In this year 
the idolatrous chiefs in Otaheite formed a con- 
spiracy, and resolved to massacre the praying 
people. They being informed of their danger, 
lied to the neighbouring island of Eimeo. The 
pagans then quarrelled among themselves, and 
the chief instigators of the plot were slain. They 

were however still resolved on war, and foi 

11* 



118 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

some time the issue was doubtful ; but Pomare 
was finally restored to the government of Ota- 
heite and its dependencies, November, 1815. 
* { This was the dawn of a most glorious day in 
(his and the neighbouring islands." Pomare 
constituted as chiefs, many of those who had 
made a public profession of their faith. The 
people assisted by their chiefs, demolished their 
Morais, overthrew the altars, and burned their 
gods in the fire. Idolatry was at once abolished, 
the worship of Jehovah substituted in its place, 
numerous buildings were immediately erected 
for public worship, and schools, in every district 
mtheisl-md. In June, 1816, one of the Mission- 
aries stated, " All accounts agree that a most 
wonderful change has been produced in all the 
Society Islands ; and the spread of the gospel 
seems to be almost universal." An Auxiliary 
Missionary Society was formed in iVlay, 1818, 
by the people of Otaheite and Cimeo, of which 
king Pomare was President. A missionary 
spirit is very prevalent. Eighteen natives have 
gone to distant islands to carry the knowledge 
of the gospel, some of them went at the peril of 
their lives ; and they have laboured with zeal, 
ability and astonishing success. Several thous- 



RELIGIOUS I VI \ 1 I** 

amis have been taught to read, and two ohurch- 
iivr been gathered by their means. 
According to late accounts, the inhabitants of 

-lands in the vicinity of Otaheite, have rc- 
nounced their idols, and those in manyolh«'i- 
are eager for Christian instruction, fulfilling the 
ancient prediction, " The hits of the sea shall 
wait for thy hncV Considerable portions of the 

iptures have been translated, printed, and 
widely diffused among a people eager to receive 
them. Elementary and devotional books have 
likewise been printed at their presses ; and edu- 
cation, civilization, and the influence of Chris- 
tianity are steadily advancing. 

11 These changes have been wrought, by the 
blessing of God upon Missionary exertions, 
among a people the most unlikely on account of 
their savageness, sensuality, and every thing 
that degrades the human character. The chiefs 
were intrigueing, perfidious, cruel, and prodigal 
of their people's lives, both in war and in furnish- 
ing sacrifices to demons ; the people were uni- 
versally thieves, lewd beyond description, en- 
slaved to the grossest superstitions, and always 
ready to murder anyone at the slightest intima- 
tions from their chiefs; the strangling of infant^ 



120 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

was also the crime of every day, perpetrated bv 
almost every mother, without shame or remorse. 
Now the Sabbath is most sacredly regarded, all 
worldly business is entirely suspended, and 
scarcely can an individual be found, who does 
not attend some house of Christian worship, 
nor a family, which neglects morning and 
evening prayers." The Rev. D. Tyerman 
one of the deputation sent from England, to vis- 
it these islands, states the following facts con- 
cerning the people here ; " No public immoral- 
ity or indecency is seen. All drunkenness and 
profane swearing are unknown here. All their 
former sports and amusements are completely 
put down. Never before did the Gospel obtain 
so complete and so universal triumph, in any 
country, over heathenism, cruelty, superstition 
and ignorance." 



40. 

SANDWICH ISLANDS MISSION. 

The Sandwich Islands are a group of 1 1 isl- 
ands in the N. Pacific Ocean, containing accord- 
ing to the estimation of the Missionaries, about 



RELIGIOUS ETENT8. JJ1 

i/>0,000 inhabitants. Of these islands, Owy- 
hee, or (according to the orthography established 
by the Missionaries. // the largi 

Till recently, the inhabitants of these Islands 
were £ross idolaters, their religion heme similar 
to that of the natives of the S eiety Islands bs 
fore the introduction of Christianity. 

In the year 1819, Tamehameha, king of the 
Sandwich Islands, died, and was succeeded b) 
his son Rihoriho. This young prince in the ear 
ly part of Nov. 1819, gave orders for the desti ac- 
tion of the monuments of Idolatry, in Owyhee, 
and a few days after sent the same orders to the 
other Islands, which were promptly obeyed. In 
Atooi, the Morais and the consecrated buildings 
with the idols, were set on fire, the first evening 
after the order arrived. The same was done in 
all the islands. — These events took place, only 
a few days after the first Missionaries sailed 
from Boston. 

This change appears to have been effected b\ 
the reports of what had been done in the Soci- 
ety Islands, the advice of foreigners, and souk 
of the more intelligent chiefs, '• The spell ot di- 
abolical enchantment was broken, t he pi i 
having lost their proud, and tyrannical prc-emin 



122 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

ence, deserted their altars of abomination, the 
inveterate customs of 3,000 years were abolish- 
ed, and the people were left without the forms 
of any religion. Thus the Lord prepared the 
way for the introduction of the Gospel into these 
islands'. 

One of the principal events which seems to 
have led to the establishment of this Mission, 
was the religious education of Henry Ob r ikiali, 
a native of Owyhee, by the Rev. S. J. Mills, a 
zealous friend of missions. Obookiah was left 
an orphan in his native country by one of those 
exterminating wars which often happened there, 
at the age of 10 or 12 years. Jn a few years af- 
ter, he was taken by an American captain to 
the United States, and landed at New-Haven, 
Con. in' 1809. While at New-Haven, Mr. 
Mills, then a student of Yale College, conceived 
the plan of educating Obookiah as Missionary 
to his native island Obookiah soon became 
hopefully pious and strongly advocated a JVlis- 
sion to his countrymen, in which he ardently 
longed to engage. He however died &t the For* 
eign Mission School at Cornwall, Con. Feb 
17th, 1818; but " his mantle fell" upon others, 
and three missionaries, and agriculturalist, me 



M 

chftniCj printer, and physician, with their famil- 
with tour native youthfl who had been cdu 

1 as teachers at Cornwall were MOl out b\ 
\merican Board of Foreign Missions, and 
-ailed from Boston. Oct 2.3, 1819, and arrived 
off Owyhee, March 30th, 1820. These ] 
sionaries were cordially received by the nati 
and immediately engaged in the duties of the 
\1 l-sion. -They found theencourairementso great, 
that they sent to the Board for more labourers. 
Accordingly, five Missionaries with their famil- 
ies, embarked at New-Haven, Nov. 19th, 1322. 
and arrived at the Sandwich Islands. April 2?th. 
1823. In 1823, they were joined by the Rev 
Mr. Ellis with two pious Otaheitans from th< 
Society Islands. Mr. Ellis was patronized by 
the London Society, and has rendered impor- 
tant services to this Mission. — A church has 
been formed, places ot worship have been erect- 
ed, schools have been established, and Chris- 
tianity, education, and civilization, have gone 
vard with pleasing success. 
The following Hymn was composed by Ml 
\Y. M. Tappan.on the occasion of the Mission- 
aries embarking at Xew -Haven. Con. for the 
Sandwich Islands. 



124 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

Wake, Isles of the South ! your redemption is near. 
No longer repose in the borders of gloom ; 
The strength of His chosen in love will appear, 
And light shall arise on the verge of the tomb. 

Alleluia to the Lamb who hath purchased our pardon . 

We will praise him again when we pass over Jordan ; 

We will praise him, &c. 

The billows that girt ye, the wild waves that roar, 
The zephyrs that play where the ocean-storms cease. 
' Shall bear the rich freight to your desolate shore, 
Shall waft the glad tidings of pardon and peace. 
Alleluia &c. 

On the islands that sit in the regions of night, 
The lands of despair, to oblivion a prey, 
The morning will open with healing and light ; 
The young star of Bethlehem will ripen to day. 
Alleluia &c. 

The altar and idol in dust overthrown, 
The incese forbade that was hallowed in blood : 
The Priest of Melchisedec there shall atone, 
And the shrines of Atooi be sacred to God ! 
Alleluia &c. 

The heathen will hasten to welcome the time, 

The day-spring, the prophet in vision once saw— - 

When the beams of Messiah will 'lumine each clime. 

And the Isles of the Ocean shall wait for his law* 
Alleluia &c. 

And thou OBOOKIAH ! now sainted above, 
Wilt rejoice, as the heralds their mission disclose : 
And the prayer will be heard, that the land thou didst love, 
May blossom as Sharon, and bud as the rose ! 
Alleluia &c. 



41 



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Ir 5*g 


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lllll§|El3piM^ 


Hfer^ *i 


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^m 





MTR.A\TSrTB1RTn> 
<zJfzssio?i>oj^' Station. amana t7ze CheroTcees. 




<^ settlement #f tke American. Colonization Society inZibera. 




MTTffiTLTK SOCIETY 
7%*^ oftlie usual Meeting in. Fn?e Mason s HaH , ZemZon 



I UU01 I i.\i:.\t- 1{J5 

«, 

MISSIONS AMONG TIIIl NORTH AM KM 
CAN INDIANS. 

Thk efforts which have been made by Chris- 
tian Benevolence, to spread the Gospel among 
the Indians in our country, have been generally 
attended with much success. — The success 
which attended the labours of Elliot, Mayhew, 
and others in New-England, and of that devoted 
missionary David Brainerd, (who went alone 
among the Indians in New-Jersey, about 80 
years ago,) will stand as a monument of the 
power of the Gospel, to change savages into mild. 
peaceable, and devoted Christians. 

Of late years, the attention of the Christian 
public has been awakened on beholding the 
moral degradation of the Indians, in our country, 
and efforts have been made to carry the light of 
Christianity, and the arts of civilized life into 
various tribes. — The Commissioners of the 
Vmerican Board for Foreign Missions have es- 
tablished a number of missionary stations in \ 
rious tribes, the principal of which arc that of 
Brainerd, among the Cherokees ; Elliot, May- 
lie w, among theChoctaws ; and D wight, amo 

19 



126 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

the Cherokees, in Arkansas Territory. In these : 
and other stations of the Board, churches have 
been organized, schools opened for the instruc- 
tion of Indian children, and Christianity and civi- 
lization have progressed with pleasing success. 

The Methodist Missionary Society in the 
course of a few years, have established stations 
in a number of Indian tribes. Their mission 
among the Cherokees, the Wyandots in the 
State of Ohio, the Mission among the Mokawks 
and Missisaugas in Upper Canada, have been 
highly prospered. According to the report of 
the Society in 1827, the number of Indian con- 
verts belonging to the Church, was eleven hun- 
dred and sixty-four. 

A tribe of Indians consisting of 180 souls, re- 
siding at the river Credit, Upper Canada, have 
with the exception of a few families, embraced 
Christianity. " Here" says the Rev. Mr. Case. 
" are seen the effects of Christianity on the man- 
ners of a rude and barbarous people. Here are 
industry, civilization, growingintelligence, peace 
and grace. And those who have witnessed the 
change, have expressed their persuasions, that 
this new nation of Christians enjoys a sum of 
religious and earthly felicity which is not al- 



I teioua »<\ iNTa 137 

ways found in civilized societies of losgur stand- 
ing and greater advantages. How great th< 
change ! A nation of wandering, idle drunk- 
ards, destitute of almost every comfort of life, 
have, in the course of twenty months, through 
the influence of Christianity, become a virtuous, 
industrious, and happy people ! — : he corner 
of the tribe in the vicinity of Bellville, is as 
remarkable as that at the river Credit. Ten 
months ago, these were the same unhappysot- 
tish drunkards. They are now, without an ex- 
ception in the whole tribe, a reformed and reli- 
gious community. They number about one 
hundred and thirty souls, and the society em- 
braces every adult, of about ninety persons." 

There are now supposed to be upwards ol 
two hundred thousand Indians in the United 
States and their territories. When it is consi- 
dered that we now inherit the land of their fa- 
thers; when we consider the success that \m> 
ever attended the efforts to introduce Christiani- 
ty among them, we must consider that they have 
strom claims upo.i the sympathy and benevo 
lence of the American people. 



n 



128 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

42. 

AFRICAN COLONIES AT SIERRA LEONE 
AND LIBERIA. 

" Colonization in Africa, with reference to ci- 
vilization, appears to have been contemplated 
in England as early as 1780. Several favoura- 
ble circumstances soon after occurred, which 
excited the public attention to the subject, and 
gave rise to the Society for the Abolition of the 
Slave Trade, and WILBERFORCE introdu- 
duced the subject into the British Parliament."* 

The colony of Sierra Lieone was commenced 
principally by the slaves, who had served under 
the British standard, during the American Revo- 
lutionary war. About 400 of these slaves found 
their way to London, and were subject to every 
misery and vice. • A committee was formed |for 
their relief, they were embarked for Sierra 
Leone, and arrived, May 9th, 1787. After 
struggling through many difficulties, the estab- 
lishment was transferred to the British Govern- 
ment in 1808. Since this time the colony has 
enjoyed a high degree of prosperity, and large 
accessions are annually made by the vigilance 

* Chapin's Gazetteer. 



religion mm 198 

ol the British cruisers in rescuing from slave- 
ships many an African, who has been torn from 
his country, and sold into bondage* 

The fVcsleyan and Church Missionaries have 
laboured here with success, and a Colony ha^ 
been formed, " which, in order, decency, and 
sobriety, and in the knowledge and practice of 
Christian duty," says an English gentleman. 
ki not only may rival, but, I firmly and from my 
heart believe, exceeds any equal population in 
the most favoured part of this highly favoured 
country." 

In the year 1817, a few distinguished Chris- 
tian philanthropists in our country, touched with 
commiseration for the degraded and unhapp\ 
condition of many of the free blacks, met at 
Washington, and laid the foundation of the 
American Colonization Society. The object ot 
this Society was to establish a Colony to which 
the free coloured people of th<- U.S. might emi- 
grate, and enjoy among thenwlves, the bles- 
sings of free government, and instructed in 
all the arts which pertain to a civilized and 
Christian community ; which might, also, be 
an asylum for slaves, re captured from smug- 
gling ships. The object, that first claimed the 



1-2 



-i* 



130 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

attention of the Society, was the selection of a 
suitable place for the proposed Colony. Ac- 
cordingly the Rev. Samuel J. Mills, and Rev. 
Ebenezer Burgess, were sent out as agents, on 
an embassy of inquiry to Africa, to survey the 
coast, and ascertain the most favourable situa- 
tion. The result of their investigations and in- 
quiries was such, as to satisfy the Managers 
that the establishment of a Colony on the West 
coast of Africa might be attempted with every 
prospect of success. Accordingly, after selecting 
two places, which were afterwards relinquished, 
Dr. Ayres, a distinguished member of the Soci- 
ety, and Lieut. Stockton, of the U. S. Navy, pur- 
chased another territory, which they called Li- 
beria. To this place, the Colonists were remov- 
ed from Sierra Leone, in April 1821, and the 
foundation of a settlement laid at the town, call- 
ed Monrovia, in honor of the President of the 
United States, (Mr. Monroe,) for the services 
he rendered to the infant Colony. 

It is said that a more prosperous community 
than the African colony, can now scarcely be 
found. Some of the settlers, who began with 
nothing, are now in affluent circumstances. All 
the children in the Colony are favoured with 



RELIGIOUS MMI IS] 

the privileges of a school education ; a lar^e li 
bury has been established, a house of worship, 
and other public buildings are erected. Dur- 
ing the last year, (1827,) 448 persons of colour 
grated to Liberia. The whole population 
now consists of 1 ,000 or 1 ,20',' souls. 

It is believed that the establishment of the Af- 
rican Colony, will afford rare facilities for the 
operations of Christian benevolence, among the 
benighted African tribes. It promises to be a 
blessed asylum for a degraded and wretched 
people. It is already to the surrounding tribes, 
like M a city set upon a hill which cannot be 
hid." It is also believed that the establishment 
of these Colonies, will have an important ef- 
fect towards hastening on that time when ' Ethi- 
opia shall stretch forth her hands unto God." 



43, 

BIBLE SOCIETIES. 

Before the art of Printing was discovered, it 

is said that it would cost a poor man thirteen 

years of hard labour to obtain a copy of the Bi- 

. so great was the expence of furnishing a 



132 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

manuscript copy. But now, through the provi- 
dence of God, so great has been the change, 
that scarcely any person who lives in a Chris- 
tian country, and sincerely desires the Bible, 
need remain a day without this precious gift of 
heaven. 

The formation of the British and Foreign 
Bible Society, is justly considered a new and 
important era in the Bible cause. This Society 
was formed in London on the 7th of March, 
1804, by an assembly consisting of about 300 
persons of different religious denominations. 

" The primary occasion" says Dr. Owen (in 
his history of the Bible Society,) " of all these 
measures, out of which this society grew, was 
the scarcity of Welch Bibles in the Principalities, 
and the impracticability of obtaining adequate 
supplies, from the only source existing at that 
period, whence copies of the authorized version 
were to be derived — The Society for the promo- 
tion of Christian Knowledge. A number of in- 
dividuals associated for the purpose of satisfying 
this want ; they found others disposed to co-op- 
erate in their views ; they then extended those 
views to the whole country ; and finally they 
conceived the design of placing the Gospel in 



iu;mi;ious I 133 

I lie habitation of every instian family, and of 
Carrying the glad tidings of Salvation and Life 
by Jesus Christ, to the people that are still walk- 
ing in darkness, and th shadow of death." 

The British and F >reign Bible Society is the 
PARENT Institution : Its annual receipts arc 
about 460,000 dolors ; it has ?,006 Auxiliary 
and Branch Societies connected with it in Great 
Britain, including 1445 Associations, 646 of 
which, are conducted by fen. ales. The Soci- 
ety has aided in printing or translating parts of 
the Bible, in upwards of one hundred and forty 
languages or dialects. The number of Bibles 
and Testaments issued by the British and For- 
eign Bible Society, from the 17th of September, 
1805, to the 31st of March, 1827, is as follows, 
viz: 2,095,245 Bibles; 3.144,383 Testaments. 
Total, 5,239,628 copies. The total amount of 
the expenditure of the Society, since its estab- 
lishment in 1804, has been upwards of six mil- 
lions of dollars. 

The Rusman Bible Society, was formed at 
St. Petersburg, in 1813, and now consists of 196 
Auxiliaries and branches in almost all parts of 
the Russian Empire. During the year 1 823, the 
Russian Society were engaged in printing edi- 



134 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

tions of the Bibles and Testaments, in various 
languages, to the number of 85,000. The oper- 
ations of the Society, however, of late have been 
suspended by order of the Russian Government. 

The American Bible Society, was instituted 
at New- York, in 1816, and has at present 591 
Auxiliary Societies. The receipts of the last 
year (1828) amountedto more than seventy-five 
thousand dollars. The Society issued from the 
depository during the last year, 73,426 Bibles in 
English; 57,053 Testaments in English ; 1,643 
Bibles in Spanish ; 1,447 Testaments in Span- 
ish ; *99 Bibles in French ; 270 Testaments in 
French; 312 Bibles in German; 88 Testa- 
ments in German ; 43 iiblesin Welch; 10 Bi- 
bles in Dutch ; 1 Gaelic Bible ; 1 1 Testaments 
in Portuguese ; 4 Mohawk Gospels : — Making 
a total of 134,604 copies. The total number 
distributed since the formation of the Society, 
in 1816, is six hundred and forty-four thousand, 
tivo hundred and seventy-five. 

The Paris Protestant Bible Society, was 
instituted in 1818 ; the operations of this Society, 
however, are limited, in comparison with those 
either of the British and Foreign, or the Ameri- 
can Bible Societies. 



The total number of Bible Sooictics in vari- 
ous parts of the world, at the present tinv 
said to be 3.965. 



44. 

BETHEL UNION MEETINGS. 

These Meetings, which were instituted for the 
benefit of Seamen, appear to have derived their 
origin from the prayer meetings of some pious 
colliers, who assembled on board of different 
ships in the river Thames, near London, in 1 8 1 G . 
These meetings attracting some attention, a res- 
pectable number of gentlemen and ladies met 
in London, formed a Society, and purchased a 
vessel, and fitted it up for public worship. This 
vessel which is now called " THE ARK" is of 
100 tons, and capable of accommodating from 
7 to 800 hearers, and many thousands of seamen 
have had an opportunity of hearing the gospel, 
on board this floating chapel. 

Since this vessel was fitted up. ,: The British. 
Foreig n Seamen* I nd Society and Beth- 
rl Union." has been formed, arks fitted up in sea- 
ports, and the - Bethel Flag,* now wav< 
various parts of the world 



J 3d RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

On the 5th of June, 1818, the " Society for 
Promoting the Gospel among Seamen," was 
formed at New-York, and in 1 820, a Mariner's 
Church was erected in the same place, (being 
it is believed, the first Marinerh Church ever 
erected.) " It is an interesting and novel feature 
in this institution, that sectarian views are dis- 
carded, and ministers of different denominations 
preach in its pulpit." 

The New- York Bethel Union was estab- 
lished June 4th, 1821. Since that time, Bethel 
Meetings have been regularly held either on 
board of ships, or in sailor boarding-houses, and 
conducted by members of the Board of Mana- 
gers, and appear to be attended with blessed 
effects. — The engraving for this Scene, repre- 
sents an evening prayer meeting, on the deck of 
a ship, during the warm season of the year. 

When we consider the importance of Seamen 
in a national or religious point of light, the low 
state of morals too generally prevalent among 
them ; we must consider the efforts which are 
now making for their religious improvement in 
various parts of the world, as an auspicious era 
in the efforts of Christian benevolence. — Sea- 
men, above every other class of people, have 




Bwmi, MiBy.Tiivr, r,i Hioht. 




Sttuidai: S€m©©1jo 




th a* lam* AM* /.',y>m/ ,/,„// 



ur.i.ii.ioi ■> i \i \ 131 

opportunity to carry the light of the Gospel 
to the remote and wt chirk places of the earth, 1 ' 
nul it is believed that their efforts will yet have 
an important effect in diffusing the light of Chri< 
tirmitv throughout the world. 



45, 

SUNDAY SCHOOLS. 

Among the various institutions which hau- 
been established in modern times for the promo- 
tion of religious instruction, and the benefit ot 
mankind, that ol Sunday Schools must stand in 
the foremost rank. — The first Sabbath School 
was established by Robert Raifces Esq. of Glou 
cester, Eng. in 1782. 

" The beginning of this scheme," (says Mr 
Raikes,) was owing to accident Some busi 
ness leading me one morning in the suburbs ot 
the city, (Gloucester,) where the lowest of the 
people chiefly reside, 1 was struck with concern 
at seeing a group of children, wretchedly rag- 
ged, at play in the street. I asked an inhabitant 
whether those children belonged to that part ol 

the town, and lamented their misery and idlf • 
13 



J 38 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

ness. Ah ! Sir, said the woman to whom f 
was speaking, could you take a view of this 
part of the town on a Sunday, you would be 
shocked indeed ; for then the street is filled with 
a multitude of these wretches, who, released 
from employment, spend their time in noise and 
riot, playing at chuck, and cursing and swear- 
ing in a manner so horrid, as to convey to any 
serious mind an idea of hell rather than any 
other place. 

This conversation suggested to me, that it 
would be at least a harmless attempt, if it were 
productive of no good, should some little plan 
be formed to check this deplorable profanation 
of the Sabbath. I then enquired if there were 
any decent well disposed women in the neigh- 
bourhood, who kept schools for teaching to read. 
I presently was directed to four. To these 1 ap- 
plied, and made an agreement with them, to re- 
ceive as many children as 1 should send them 
upon the Sunday, whom they were to instruct 
in reading, and in the Church catechism. "-This 
This appears to have been the origin of Sunday 
Schools — Mr. Raikes soon found means to in- 
crease the number of schools, the Methodists 
were the first to unite with him in this under- 



RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 100 

taking, and in two years lie saw a great change 
ught in Gloucester ; lie laid his plan before 
public ; and before his death, (which took 
place in 1811,) he had the happiness to learn, 
the Sunday Schools in various parts of Britain. 
comprehended three hundred thousand children. 

These Schools iiave now become numerous 
in England, Scotland, Ireland, and America ; 
and it is believed that the influence they will ex- 
ert on the rising generation, will have an impor- 
tant effect towards hastening on that day when 
• all shnll know the Lord from the least unto 
the greatest," and " the earth shall be filled with 
the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover 
the sea." 

Several different modes have been adopted in 
conducting these schools, and improvements 
have been constantly made. — In many places, 
the instructers of Sabbath Schools hold a week 
!y or monthly meeting by themselves, to report 
the progress of their respective classes, and to 
devise means for the religious improvement ol 
the School. Libraries for the use of the schol 
arsand teachers, have produced very benefici;H 
effects. 



140 RELIGIOUS EVENTS. 

46. 

MILLENIUM. 

This scene is yet to come. — Millenium, is a 
term generally used to denote the time when ac- 
cording to prophecy, a great moral change in our 
world will be effected by the universal preva- 
lence of Christianity.--" By this change, the ru- 
ins of the fall to a great extent, will be repaired ; 
the power and influence of the Messiah's reign 
will be felt and acknowledged by all nations, 
producing universal peace, and willing obedi- 
ence to the law of the Creator ; and the earth 
with its inhabitants, in a manner and degree 
beyond our anticipations, will return to the hap- 
py state of perfection, innocence, and peace, in 
which they were originally formed."* 

We have many prophecies in the Bible res- 
pecting this time, the prophet declares that 
" The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the 
earth, as the waters cover the sea, 5 ' and, " all 
shall know the Lord from the least unto the 
greatest." 

This world which has been the theatre of so 
much sin and misery, war and blood-shed, shall 

• Dr. Morse. 



RELIGIOUS iTBMTl 141 

he changed) for in this time, u swords shall be 
beat into ploughshares, and spears into pruning 
hooks ; nation shall not lift up sword againsl 
nation, neither shall they learn war any more/' 

There shall be nothing to hurt or offend, in all 
the holy mountain," ibr " The wolf also shall 
dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie 
down with the kid ; and the calf and the young 
lion, and the fatling together, and a little child 
shall lead them." 

For the coming of this blessed day, Christians 
in all ages have prayed. Never, since the time 
of the first Apostles, has there been such an uni- 
versal effort to spread the Gospel throughout 
the world, as there is at the present time, and it 
is believed that we see the dawn of that glorious 
period, when it will be said 

u One song employs all nations ; and all cry 
M Worthy the Lamb, for he was slain for us." 
u Tiie dwellers in the vales, and on the ro< 
>hout to each other, and the mountain tops 
From distant mountains, catch the flying jo 
Till nation after nation, taught the strain ; 
Kaith rolls the rapturous Hosanna round '* 



10* 






V CHRONOLOGICAL TABU 2 

OF IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING 

RELIGIOUS EVENTS 

Which have occurred since the Commencement of th 
Christian Era to the present time. 



A. D. 

4 Jesus Christ the Saviour of mankind is born four year* 
after the commencement of the vulgar era. 

06 John the Baptist preaches in Judea, the coming of the 
Messiah. 

33 Jesus Christ is crucified. 

35 Conversion of St. Paul to Christianity. 

39 St. Matthew writes his Gospel. 

40 The name of Christians first given to the disciples ot 
Christ at Antioch. 

41 Herod prosecutes the Christians, and imprisons Peter. 

42 Sergius Paulus, pro-consul, converted by St. Paul. 
44 St. Mark writes his Gospel. 

r >0 St. Paul preaches in the Areopagus at Athens. 
60 Christian religion published in England. 
04 The first persecution of the Christians raised bv Nero. 
67 St. Peter and St. Paul put to death. 
70 Titus destroys Jerusalem. The lands of Judea sold. 
95 Dreadful persecutions of the Christians at Rome and in 
the provinces. 

St. John writes his Apocalypse, 
writes his Gospel. 

97 The Evangelist John returned from banishment. 

98 Trajan forbids !>ie Christian assemblies. 

108 St. Ignatius was devoured by wild beasts at Rome. 

J 18 Persecution of ti e Christians renewed by Adrian, but 
afterwards suspended. 

137 Adrian rebuilds Jerusalem, by the name of Elia Capito- 
lina. 

139 Justin Marly writes his first Apology for the Christians. 

167 Polvcarp and Pionicus< -uficred martyrdom in Asia. 

177 Persecution of at Lyons. 

202 The fifth Pertecution against the Christians, principal- 
ly in Egypt. 



144 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 

203 The Scots converted to Christianity by the preaching 
of Marcus and Dion y sins. 

236 The sixth persecution of the Christians. 

250 The seventh persecution of the Christians under De- 
cius. 

257 The eighth persecution of the Christians. 

260 The Temple of Diana, at Ephesus, burned. 

272 The ninth persecution of the Christians. 

302 The tenth persecution of the Christians. 

306 Consiantine the Great, Emperor of Rome, stops the 
persecution of the Christians. 

313 Edict of Milan published by Constantine— Christian- 
ity tolerated through the Empire 

325 Constantine assembles the first General Council at 
Nice, where the docirines of Arius are condemned. 

326 St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, introduces Mo- 
narchism in the Roman Empire. 

361 Julian, Emperor of Rome, abjures Christianity, and 
is elected Pontifex M axioms. 

Attempts fruitlessly to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. 

381 Second General Council held at Constantinople. 

387 St. Jerome dies, age d 78. 

397 St. Chrysostom chosen patriarch of Constantinople. 

416 The Pelagian Heresy, condemned by the Bishops of 
Africa. 

451 The fourth General Council held at Chalcedon. 

497 Clovis and the Franks converted to Christianity. 

516 The computation of time by the Christian Era, intro- 
duced by Dionysius the Monk. 

519 Justin restores the orthodox Bishops, and condemns 
the Eutychians. 

525 The Emperor Justin deposes the Arian Bishops. 

565 The Picts converted to Christianity by St. Columba. 

571 Birth of Mahomet the false prophet. 

580 The Latin tongue ceases to be spoken. 

596 Clovis baptized, and * hristian Religion introduced in- 
to France. 

Augustine, the Monk, converts the Saxons to Chris- 
tianity. 

609 The Jews of Antioch massacre the Christians. 

611 The Church and Abbev of Westminster founded. 

612 Mahomet begins to publish the Koran. 

636 Jerusalem taken by Omar and the Saracens, who 
keep possession of it 463 years. 

680 The sixth General or Ecumenical Concil of Constan- 
tinople. 

726 Leo forbids the worship of images, which occasions a 
great rebellion of his subjects, the Pope defending the 
practice. 



. HR0N01 OGICAL TABtl I 1$ 

Leoordei rregorj to bo seized and sent (<• 

( instantinople, but the order is frustrated, and I 
tfiscatea toe im| erial domains of Sicily and Calabria. 
l ieo p e r s ecutes the Monks. 
Death of Pelagius, who preserved the Christian Mo 

OOJ in Austria. 

Astolphus, King of the Lombards, erects the Duke- 
dom of Kavenna, and claims from the Tope the Duke- 
dom of Rome. 
754 Pepin invades Italy, and strips Astolphus of bis new 
possessions, conferring- them on the Pope as a temporal 
sovereignty. 
770 Constantine dissolves the Monasteries in the East. 
> I Irene re-establishes the worship of Images. 
7S7 The seventh General Conncil or second of IN ice i- 
held. 

Missionaries sent from France to Sweden. 
951 Pope Joan supposed to have filled the papal chair for 

two years. 
067 Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople, excommunicate- 
Pope Adrian. 
^86 The University of Oxford founded by Alfred. 
915 The University of Cambridge founded by Edward 

the Elder. 
1015. The Manichean doctrines prevalent in France and 

Italy. 
1061 Henry Fourth, of Germany, on his knees asks pardon 

of the Pope. 
J 065 The Turks take Jerusalem from the Saracens. 
1076 The Emperor Henry Fourth, excommunicated and 

deposed by the Pope. 
1079 Doomsday-book begun by William the Conqueror. 
1095 Thefird Crusade to the Holy land.— The Crusaders 

take Antioch. 
1099 Jerusalem taken by Godfrey, of Boulogne — The 

Knights of St. John instituted. 
1147 The second Crusade excited by St. Bologna. 
1 160 The Albigensenses maintain heretical doctrines. 
1171 T. Becket murdered at Canterbury. 
1187 The city of Jerusalem taken by Saladin. 
1 109 The third Crusade under Richard First and Philip Au 

gustus. 
1202 The fourth Crusade sets out from Venice. 
1204 The Inquisition established by Fope Innocent Third. 
1210 Crusade against the Albigenses under Siraon de Mont 

fort. 
1226 Institution of the orders of St. Dominic and St. FraD 
cis. 
! )1 The Inquisition committed to the Dominician Monkv 



146 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE, 

1248 The fifth Crusade wnder St. Lewis. 

1260 Flagellants preach baptism with blood. 

1282 The Sicilian Vespers, when 80C0 French were massa 

cred in one night. 
1291 Ptolemais taken by the Turks.— End of the Crusades. 
1293 Jubilee first celebrated at Rome. 
1299 Ottoman or Othoman, first Sultan, and founder of the 

Turkish Empire. 
1308 The seat of the Popes transferred to Avignon for 

seventy years. 
1310 Rhodes taken by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, 

1377 Wickliffe's doctrines propagated in England. 

1378 The schism of the doudle Pope's at Rome and Avig- 
non begins and continues thirty-eight years. 

1409 Council of Pisa, where Pope Gregory is deposed. 

1414 Council of Constance, in which two Popes were de- 
posed, and the Popedom remained vacant near three 
years. 

1415 John Huss condemned by the Council of Constance 
for heresy, and burnt. 

1416 Jerome of Prague condemned by the same Council 
and burnt ' 

1439 Reunion of the Greek and Latin Churches. 
1453 Constantinople was taken by the Turks. 
3462 The first Vulgate Bible printed in France. 
1 47 1 Thomas, a Kem pis died. 
1494 America discovered by i olumbus 
1498 Savanazola burnt by Pope Alexander Sixth, for 
preaching against the vices of the clergy. 

1517 The Reformation in Germany begun by Luther. 

1518 Leo Tenth condemns Luther's doctrines. 

1520 Massacre of Stockholm by Christiern Second, and 

Archbishop Trollo. 
1524 Sweden and Denmark embrace the Protestant faith. 

1529 Diet of Spires against the Huguenots, then first term- 
ed Protestants. 

1530 The league of Smalcund between the Protestants. 

1531 Michael Servetus burnt for heresy at Geneva. 
1534 The Reformation takes place in England. 

1535. The society of the Jesuits instituted by Ignatius 
Loyola. 

1538 The Bible in English appointed to be read in the 
Churches of England. 

1540 Dissolution of the Monasteries in England by Henrv 
Eighth 

1545 The Council of Trent begins, which continued eight- 
een years. 

1548 The Interim granted by Charles Fifth, to the Pro 
testants. 



I URONOLOGICAL TABLE. i4"« 

The treaty of Passau between Charles Fifth and the 
Eleotbr of Saxony, for the establishment of Lutheranism. 
iS IV! ichael Servetus burnt at Geueva. 

1555 A number of Bishops in England burnt by Queen 
Mary 

1560 The Reformation completed in Scotland, by John 
Knox, and the Papal authority abolished. 

1564 John Calvin a celebrated Theologian died. 

1 57-2 The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's, August 24th* 

1576 The league formed in France against the Protestants. 

1587 Second settlement in Virginia. JVIanteo, an Indian, 
received Christian baptism — Virginia Dare born, the 
first child of Christian parents born in the United States. 

159 f Presbyterian church-government established in Scot 
land. 

1598 Edict of Nantes, tolerating the Protestants in France. 

1608 Arrnipius propogates his opinions. 

1618 The Synod of Dort in Holland. 

1619 Vanini burnt at Thoulouse for Atheism. 

1010 Settlement of Plymouth by the Puritans, Dec. 22. 

I6t6 League of the Protestant Princes against the Em- 
peror. 

1038 The solemn League and Covenant established in Scot- 
land. 

1639 First Baptist church in America formed at Provi- 
dence. 

1G40 New-England Psalm Book first published. 

1641 The Irish Rebellion and Massacre of the Protestants 
October, 23. 

1656 The Friends or Quakers first came to Massachusetts. 
Four executed in 1659. 

1CG4 Mr. KUioVs Indian Bible printed at Cambridge, Mass. 
the first Bible printed in America. 

1674 John Milton a celebrated poet died. 

1685 Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Lewis Four- 
teenth. 

1689 Rev. J. Elliot, " apostle of the Indians" died. 

1689 Episcopacy abolished by King William in Scotland. 

1708 Say brook Platform formed by a Synod of ministers 
under the authority of the State of Connecticut. 

1731 Rev. Solomon Sto Idard a Theological writer died. 

1740 George Whitfield a celebrated preacher first arrives 
in America, he dies at Newburyport Mass Sept. 30, 1770 
M h is seventh visit to America. 

Dr. Watts a celebrated poet and divine died, aged 7 - 

1754 Dr. Doddridge a celehrated divine died. 

lent Edwards a celebrated divine died. 



148 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 

1772 Swedenburg the founder of the New Jerusalem Church 
died. 

1773 The Society of Jesuits suppressed by the Popes' Bull 
August 25. 

1774 The Shakers first arrived from England, they settled 
near Albany. 

1777 Voltaire a celebrated Infidel Philosopher died. 

1782 First English Bible printed in America by Robert 

Aiken of Philadelphia. 
1790 Howard the Philanthropist died. 

1 792 John Wesley the founder of Methodism, died, aged 87. 

1793 Triumph of Infidelity in France — The National Con- 
vention decreed that " death is an eternal sleep" 

1796 The London Missionary Society sent out a number of 
Missionaries to the Society Islands. 

1798 The Papal Government suppressed by the French — 
The Pope quits Rome, Feb. 26. 

3 804 British and Foreign Bible Society instituted. 

1806 The Slave Trade abolished by act of Parliament, Feb- 
ruary. 

1813 Russian Bible Society formed at St. Petersburg . 

1815 Idolatry abolished in the Society Islands. 

1 816 The American Bible Society instituted at New- York. 
1818 Paris Protestant Bible Society formed. 

1820 First Mariner's Church erected at New- York. 

1821 Monrovia settled by the American Colonization So- 
ciety. 

J823 American Missionaries arrived at the Sandwich Isl- 
ands. > 5 



I 



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